Player of the Match
Player of the Match
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    7.1 massive appeal, and after an eternity, up goes the finger! Pakistan have reviewed, that was adjacent to off stump, but bending back in all the time. Did it hit him in line? Joel Wilson took his time to deliberate, and sure enough, it's hitting the top of off! 13/2
    4.5 throat ball! That's the threat that Steyn possesses. Shorter, straighter, shoving Fakhar viciously back into his crease, but his weight is already committed to the front foot, and the ball can only lob gently to Temba Bavuma at slip as he flings his hands up in self-defence! 9/1
    32.3 what a catch from de Kock! There's the breakthrough, and it's Masood's only error in what had been a fine innings. Too tentative outside off this time, a fat nick, and de Kock dives to his left to scoop, open-palmed, in both gloves, low in front of flirst slip 114/6
    11.4 banged in short, fenced to slip! Olivier does for Azhar once more, cramped on the back foot by a lifter, angled back in from wide on the crease, a flaccid rellexive push, and Amla pouches the nick in front of his nose at first slip. It's been a woeful hour for Pakistan, as South Africa's quicks strike in unison 19/3
    18.3 gone, Rabada gets among 'em! Sooner or later you felt he was going to land one in the right area and there it is... Rearing from a length, 137kph and straightening enough to squash a fat outside edge, before diverting to third slip where Elgar holds a stinger! 51/4
    19.5 pace and bounce, Babar tries to gets his hands down... but it balloons to slip off the glove! He thought briefly about reviewing, pondering whether it came off the arm guard, but in the end elects not to waste it. Seemed to come off the wrist strap (which is part of the glove) on the bottom hand 54/5
    44.2 short and edged, steered through to the keeper! Sarfraz attempts another one of those cute uppercuts but only succeeds in getting a toe-end on it, well taken high to his right by de Kock! He perishes as he thrived, by the kick of his Stallion... but Pakistan could have done with him sticking it out a bit longer, really 156/7
    not out
    22
    47
    94
    1
    0
    46.80
    46.3 gottim, snapped up at second slip! Footless prod from Yasir and he sends a thick outside edge to du Plessis, who takes a sharp catch in front of his mush 162/8
    47.6 perfect line, draws the edge - de Kock snaffles it! Full enough to drag him out, swerving enough to kiss the bat, speedy enough for a quick kill. Up goes Joel Wilson's finger and the end is nigh for Pakistan 163/9
    51.1 all over, Red Rover - gloved to the keeper! Well-directed short ball from Steyn and he picks up his third as Afridi tries unsuccessfully to sway out of the way! Pakistan's last three wickets muster 21 and SA will consider that a job pretty well done 177/10
    Extras
    14 (b 8, lb 2, nb 1, w 3)
    TOTAL
    177 all out (51.1 Overs, RR: 3.45, 254 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Fakhar Zaman, 4.5 ov), 2-13 (Imam-ul-Haq, 7.1 ov), 3-19 (Azhar Ali, 11.4 ov), 4-51 (Asad Shafiq, 18.3 ov), 5-54 (Babar Azam, 19.5 ov), 6-114 (Shan Masood, 32.3 ov), 7-156 (Sarfaraz Ahmed, 44.2 ov), 8-162 (Yasir Shah, 46.3 ov), 9-163 (Mohammad Abbas, 47.6 ov), 10-177 (Shaheen Shah Afridi, 51.1 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    DW Steyn15.134833.1610
    VD Philander1133613.2700
    K Rabada1023523.5001
    D Olivier1534843.2020
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    29.6 bowled 'im! A torpedo to remove off stump with the final ball of the day! Markram is uprooted, there'll be no coming back for a hundred in the morning... Ecstasy for Masood, who only took his first Test wicket at Centurion last week! That has grubbed through at shin height, a shocker to get from a part-time bowler, but Pakistan will grab whatever they can at this stage. South Africa's day but Markram is done 123/2
    11.5 there it is! A lifter outside off, Amir's arms are outstretched in triumph, as Elgar is lured fatefully outside the line, for a thin nick to the keeper 56/1
    31.5 oh wow, that's unplayable! Ma-a-a-a-a-ssive jag off the pitch from outside off, and out comes leg stump as a bewildered Amla is left fencing at thin air! That must have hit a crack, but there in a nutshell is the value of hitting the seam time and time again. You never know what natural variation will come to your aid! 126/3
    42.3 throws his hands at a wide one and gully clings onto a stinger! Such a nonchalant grab from Babar, high to his right, but a total throwaway from Theunis! No need to chase that one, the runs were coming regardless, but a loss of patience and Pakistan continue to chisel a way back into this contest 149/4
    108.6 whoosh, that's a fresh-n-clean delivery! Turns Faf inside out like laundry and then Sarfraz screams out an appeal... No response from Joel Wilson but Pakistan review. And it turns out to be an excellent one! Just a scratch of an outside edge as he fended over the top of off, but Afridi has got him! Fabulous innings from the captain, he walks off to a standing ovation with his team well in control 356/6
    95.2 edged and gone! Out of nowhere, Bavuma is sunk! Afridi makes up for his error the previous ball by tightening his line, straightening one off the seam, and finding the nick through to Sarfraz. No hundred for Bavuma, but a fine knock all the same 305/5
    117.6 edged, and scooped up at second slip! Such a cool take from Shafiq, it looked as first as though it hadn't carried... in fact, he squeezed it into his midriff with the heels of his hands! Looking to be forceful off the back foot, de Kock threw his hands into the stroke, and gave the edge enough momentum to carry 394/7
    121.1 stumps splattered! Amir bursts one through the gate from a full length, via a thin inside-edge, and smashes the leg stump in two! The end of an enterprising knock, and Pakistan's ordeal is almost over 407/8
    121.3 much wider on the crease, and now Rabada's timbers have been shivered too! The new angle, allied to a full length, twists the batsman's blood as he tries to clip through midwicket but is beaten around the outside edge. Amir earning some belated reward for his toil 408/9
    124.1 banged in short once more, a slapped uppercut down to third man as Olivier leans back to give himself room, and there is the catch that ends the fun. It's been a lively morning's work, but the upshot is that South Africa have a first-innings lead of 254, and a real chance to wrap this game up today if they bowl as well as they did in the first innings. 431/10
    not out
    10
    8
    14
    2
    0
    125.00
    Extras
    9 (b 5, lb 1, nb 3)
    TOTAL
    431 all out (124.1 Overs, RR: 3.47, 563 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-56 (Dean Elgar, 11.5 ov), 2-123 (Aiden Markram, 29.6 ov), 3-126 (Hashim Amla, 31.5 ov), 4-149 (Theunis de Bruyn, 42.3 ov), 5-305 (Temba Bavuma, 95.2 ov), 6-356 (Faf du Plessis, 108.6 ov), 7-394 (Quinton de Kock, 117.6 ov), 8-407 (Vernon Philander, 121.1 ov), 9-408 (Kagiso Rabada, 121.3 ov), 10-431 (Dale Steyn, 124.1 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    Mohammad Amir3398842.6603
    Mohammad Abbas34810012.9400
    Shaheen Shah Afridi27.1312344.5200
    Yasir Shah2117903.7600
    Shan Masood511913.8000
    Asad Shafiq401604.0000
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    3.3 pitched up, scratchy drive from Imam - and it's swallowed at third slip! Steyn makes the breakthrough again, loose from Imam, there'll be no second-innings heroics from him. Full and tempting but he was on the move and totally off balance as he swiped at the ball 10/1
    37.5 there's the breakthrough, Masood finally lured into fishing at one! Almost identical to his first-innings dismissal, you can see the pain behind his eyes as Masood again suffers a lapse in concentration... The line was just wide enough to leave but Steyn had been nagging away, like a safe-cracker testing for a weak spot, and he celebrates like he's about to pop! After a 132-run stand, SA finally have wicket number three 159/3
    10.1 stays low, thuds into the pad - that's plumb! No review from Azhar, who was perhaps happy enough to walk off knowing he hadn't got out to an Olivier bouncer. That crack as done for another batsman, Rabada right on the money with his first ball, would have rattled middle and off halfway up 27/2
    45.4 edged, gone! It was too good to last, Philander dangles one more in the channel outside off, a hint of shape away from the bat, and that's a limp end to a wonderful innings. A thin nick to a jubilant keeper. South Africa surge again! 194/4
    67.6 extra bounce, finds the edge - Amla snaps it up! That's the big one, Babar extracted after a spunky knock; but has it come in time for SA to finish things tonight? Rabada hit a good length and drew the shot, Babar needing to try and get a single to retain the strike. SA need one more 270/9
    48.1 smashed h-i-i-i-i-gh in the air, and Rabada makes a steepler look simple! A filthy hack off a not-particularly-short delivery, no idea where he was aiming other than Antarctica, but he ended up shooting for the moon instead. Rabada called early, ran back, eye on the ball. Gobbled it 201/5
    54.2 huge appeal and that's gone too! Up goes the finger as Olivier thumps the pad on a full length in front of off... Pakistan review... could there be a question mark over the height? Miles from the bat, but he was trapped on the crease, and that is clipping the bails! 220/6
    55.3 banged in, Amir throws up the hands, a kiss of the gloves and de Kock completes the catch! As thorough a bouncing out as you're likely to see... Steyn sent down a head-seeking missile, the ball just brushing the top hand as it flew through 221/7
    59.1 top-edged again, high over the keeper... taken at LONG STOP!! Zubayr Hamza is the sub fielder and he has held this expertly, right on the rope running across to his left. The plan comes together, Steyn gets a fourth as Yasir's luck runs out 247/8
    not out
    10
    29
    53
    2
    0
    34.48
    70.4 short, swung up and away... collected by Philander on the run at midwicket! That's job done for the bowlers, no doubt about the no-ball this time, but that might well be it for the night, too 294/10
    Extras
    19 (b 9, lb 4, nb 4, w 2)
    TOTAL
    294 all out (70.4 Overs, RR: 4.16, 339 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Imam-ul-Haq, 3.3 ov), 2-27 (Azhar Ali, 10.1 ov), 3-159 (Shan Masood, 37.5 ov), 4-194 (Asad Shafiq, 45.4 ov), 5-201 (Fakhar Zaman, 48.1 ov), 6-220 (Sarfaraz Ahmed, 54.2 ov), 7-221 (Mohammad Amir, 55.3 ov), 8-247 (Yasir Shah, 59.1 ov), 9-270 (Babar Azam, 67.6 ov), 10-294 (Shaheen Shah Afridi, 70.4 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    VD Philander1965112.6801
    DW Steyn1928544.4701
    D Olivier1638415.2511
    K Rabada16.426143.6611
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    not out
    24
    39
    48
    4
    0
    61.53
    3.4 short ball, de Bruyn pulls... and gets a feather through to Sarfraz! Pakistan have their breakthrough, Abbas with a sharp bumper - not his usual method of attack, but it does the job! Joel Wilson's finger was quickly up and de Bruyn must have felt the contact, as he heads off disconsolately after missing out as fill-in opener. Just flicked the glove, from the replays 4/1
    6.4 oh, what's that hit? Amla seems in some pain, smacked on the back arm by a spiteful lifter... the ball then looped up and deflected off the bat, landing just wide of the stumps! He was half forward and attempting to leave what looked like a length ball, only for it to spit like fat from a fryer 23/1
    not out
    3
    6
    14
    0
    0
    50.00
    Extras
    10 (b 4, nb 1, w 5)
    TOTAL
    43/1 (9.5 Overs, RR: 4.37)
    Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Theunis de Bruyn, 3.4 ov), 1-23* (Hashim Amla, retired not out )
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    Mohammad Amir521703.4011
    Mohammad Abbas401413.5000
    Azhar Ali0.50809.6000

Close of Play

  • Thu, 3 Jan - day 1 - South Africa 1st innings 123/2 (HM Amla 24*, 30 ov)
  • Fri, 4 Jan - day 2 - South Africa 1st innings 382/6 (Q de Kock 55*, VD Philander 6*, 116 ov)
  • Sat, 5 Jan - day 3 - Pakistan 2nd innings 294
  • Sun, 6 Jan - day 4 - South Africa 2nd innings 43/1 (9.5 ov) - end of match

Match Notes

South Africa 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st4D ElgarTB de Bruyn
2nd19HM AmlaD Elgar
2nd20F du PlessisD Elgar