South Africa 219 for 8 (Miller 75*, de Kock 33, Hasan 3-24) v Pakistan
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South Africa’s top order crumbled around Pakistan’s discipline © Getty Images
Pakistan put on a vastly improved bowling display as they shackled South Africa’s batsmen to restrict them to 219. It might have been nearer 150 when Pakistan got rid of six South African batsmen inside the first 30 overs for 118, but David Miller, so often required only to provide late firepower, showed his all-round batting credentials. He anchored the innings with an unbeaten 75 off 104 balls. Hasan Ali finished with 3 for 24.
It turns out you can open the bowling with two quality fast bowlers in England conditions, after all. Mohammad Amir and Junaid Khan were tight and disciplined, bowling to a plan, meticulous in ensuring South Africa’s openers were not allowed width. Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock had to shuffle around to manipulate the ball past the inner circle, never quite looking as comfortable as they so often do. A superb opportunity to get a wicket was missed as early as the second over, with de Kock setting off for a suicidal single, and only Shoaib Malik’s inability to hit the stumps spared him.
The seamers might have started well, but the spinners wounded South Africa. Imad Wasim – brought on inside the first Powerplay – removed Amla off his second delivery, the batsman missing his nudge off a straight ball.
De Kock joined him soon after he had survived an lbw shout off Mohammad Hafeez only by dint of Pakistan’s failure to review an lbw call that would have been overturned. De Kock, though, hadn’t learned his lesson, and missed a sweep off Hafeez to square leg. South Africa’s innings went from shaky to all-out panic just an over later, when skipper AB de Villiers slashed Imad Wasim off his first ball through the offside. He hadn’t managed to keep it down, and only ended up guiding the ball straight to backward point. Pakistan suddenly had complete control of the game.
When du Plessis and Miller began to look like they were settling down against the spinners, Sarfraz brought Hasan on. He, too, didn’t need more than two balls to make an impact, crossing du Plessis into cutting a ball too close to the body. All the batsman could manage was to drag the ball onto his stumps.
Miller tried to take some control of the South African innings, stepping out to hit two sixes, but South Africa simply could not get partnerships going. Duminy and Parnell were victims of contenders for ball of the tournament, each pitching around off stump and tailing away. Duminy got an outside edge that carried to first slip, while Parnell could put up no barrier between ball and off stump. South Africa were 118 for 6, and Pakistan were running through them.
Chris Morris gave Miller some company as South Africa looked to get as close to 200 as possible, but there were no signs of the ragged death bowling that had been a feature of Pakistan’s performance against India. Mohammad Amir and Junaid Khan were unplayable at times, bowling reverse swinging yorkers almost on demand.
Miller was able to hold his side’s innings together though. It was a small win in an innings where Pakistan had the upper hand almost from start to finish, but if it can help South Africa keep Pakistan’s shaky batting out of reach, it could yet turn into a very big win indeed.
Danyal Rasool is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Danny61000
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo