PAARL: Saim Ayub scored his second century, while Salman Ali Agha showcased his all-round brilliance to lead Pakistan to a thrilling victory in the first ODI of the three-match series against South Africa here at Boland Park on Tuesday.
Chasing a target of 240, the visiting team successfully achieved the total with three balls to spare and took a 1-0 lead in the series.
Salman Ali Agha, after taking four wickets in the first innings, played a calm and composed knock of 82* in 90 balls with the help of six boundaries, which included two sixes.
The right-hander came out to bat with Pakistan struggling at 60-4 and formed a solid partnership of 141 runs with opening batter Saim Ayub.
They took Pakistan’s total to 201 before Kagiso Rabada broke the partnership with the wicket of Saim, who scored 109 runs from 119 balls with the help of ten boundaries and three sixes.
Pakistan lost two more wickets in quick succession before Naseem Shah (9*) joined Salman and they constructed an unbeaten 33-run stand to take their team across the line.
For South Africa, Rabada and Ottneil Baartman took two wickets each, while Marco Jansen and Tabraiz Shamsi bagged one each.
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Earlier, South Africa’s stand-in captain Aiden Markram chose to bat first after winning the coin toss against Pakistan’s formidable bowling attack.
The decision seemed to bore fruits initially as Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickelton built a 70-run opening stand in 59 balls before Salman Ali Agha turned things around with his off-spin bowling.
De Zorzi scored 33 off 25 with the help of six boundaries, while Rickelton struck seven fours on his way to a 38-ball 36.
Salman removed both batters in successive overs, followed by the wickets of Rassie van der Dussen and Tristan Stubbs (1) in his fourth over to leave South Africa reeling at 88-4.
Markram (35) and Heinrich Klaasen then joined hands to take the hosts out of the trouble with a 73-run stand for the fifth wicket before Saim Ayub broke the budding partnership.
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Klaasen then waged a lone war, playing a brilliant knock of 86 runs from 97 balls, which featured seven fours and two sixes, to take his team’s total beyond the 200-run mark.
Shaheen Shah Afridi ended Klaasen’s knock before Kagiso Rabada (11) and Ottneil Baartman (10*) added crucial 21 runs for the ninth wicket.
Rabada got run out on the last ball of the innings as South Africa finished with 239-9.
Salman Ali Agha led Pakistan’s bowling attack with his figures of 4-32, while Abrar Ahmed took two wickets.
Pakistan Playing XI:Â Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf
South Africa Playing XI:Â Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Marco Jansen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Ottneil Baartman, Tabraiz Shamsi
READ:Â Babar Azam eyes major milestones during South Africa ODIs