CAPE TOWN: Kamran Ghulam’s blistering half-century, followed by Shaheen Shah Afridi’s four-wicket haul, led Pakistan to a resounding 81-run victory over South Africa in the second ODI of the three-match series here at the Newlands on Thursday.
The victory gave Pakistan an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, with the final ODI scheduled to be played in Johannesburg on Sunday.
Chasing a daunting 330-run target, the Proteas’ batting unit skittled for a modest 248 despite Heinrich Klaasen’s 97-run knock.
The wicketkeeper batter waged a lone battle for the home side with a gutsy 97 off 74 deliveries, laced with eight fours and four sixes.
Besides him, opening batter Tony de Zorzi was the other notable run-getter in the run chase with his 34 runs up the order.
Shaheen was the standout bowler for the green shirts, returning match figures of 4/47, followed by Naseem Shah, who took 3/37 in his 8.3 overs. Abrar Ahmed played a supportive role with two scalps.
Put into bat first, the green shirts got off to a dismal start to their innings as their opener Abdullah Shafique perished for a two-ball duck in the first over with just five runs on the board.
Following the early hiccup, star batter Babar Azam joined last-match centurion Saim Ayub (25) for a crucial 48-run partnership, lasted with the opener’s dismissal in the 10th over.
Babar was then joined by skipper Mohammad Rizwan in the middle and together they raised a match-defining 115-run partnership for the third wicket, which saw both the batters amassing their half-centuries.
All-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo eventually broke the threatening in the 33rd over by getting Babar caught at midwicket.
The star batter scored 73 off 95 deliveries with the help of seven fours.
Meanwhile, Rizwan was then involved in a brief 24-run partnership with Salman Ali Agha before falling victim to Kwena Maphaka in the 36th over.
The wicketkeeper batter remained the top-scorer for Pakistan with an 82-ball 80, laced with 10 boundaries including three sixes.
Coming out to bat at number six, Kamran took the reins of Pakistan’s batting expedition with a blistering knock.
The right-handed batter struck four fours and five sixes on his way to a 32-ball 63.
He was also involved in crucial partnerships with Salman Ali Agha (33), Muhammad Irfan Khan (15) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (16) before getting dismissed on the first delivery of the final over.
For South Africa, Maphaka led the way with four wickets, followed by Marco Jansen with three, while Bjorn Fortuin and Phehlukwayo, chipped in with a scalp apiece.
