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SA still on target for whitewash

cricket13 January 2019 15:40| © MWP
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Quinton de Kock © Gallo Images

South Africa need seven wickets on day four of the third and final Castle Lager test to complete a series whitewash of Pakistan at Bidvest Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Monday.

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When play was called on Sunday, Pakistan were fighting on 153 for three, requiring 228 more for victory. South Africa set Pakistan a daunting target of 381 thanks to superb third day innings of 129 by their wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock.

The tourists started off positively but Dale Steyn eventually picked up two wickets and Duanne Olivier another to complete a decent day for the Proteas.

Pakistan will still have some hope of pulling off an upset win with Asad Shafiq (48) and Babar Azam (17) at the crease in an unbeaten partnership of 49 runs.

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Imam-ul-Haq and Shan Masood cut determined figures when they came out to bat in Pakistan's second innings.

They handled the new ball superbly well, in fact the best they had all series.

But South Africa’s champion bowler Dale Steyn was not to be denied as he made the breakthrough. He came around the wicket to the left-handed Imam-ul-Haq (35) and got one to straighten and find the edge through to De Kock.

That made it 67 for one and seven runs later Steyn struck again also having Shan Masood (37) caught behind by De Kock. Those two wickets saw Steyn move into eighth position on the all-time test wicket takers rankings with 433 victims.

Not to be outdone, Olivier produced a vicious short-pitched delivery to hand De Kock a third catch off the bat of Azhar Ali who scored 15.

Earlier in the day, De Kock scored his first century in two years which enabled the Proteas to total 303 in their second innings.

De Kock, who last test hundred came against Sri Lanka in Cape Town in January 2017, was the mainstay of the South African innings while Hashim Amla added 71.

Lefthanded De Kock’s fourth test ton also equalled his career-best score of 129 not out scored against England at Centurion in 2016.

And it was the manner in which he scored his runs that impressed. He rattled along at a rapid rate facing only 138 balls while striking 18 fours and a six.

He was involved in two major partnerships. The first one realised a crucial 102 runs with Amla for the sixth wicket and the other, a vital 79 with Kagiso Rabada (21) for the eight.

He was eventually out caught at deep backward square by Hasan Ali off legspinner Shadab Khan, who finished with three wickets for 41. Seamer Faheem Ashraf also claimed three scalps, his wickets coming at a cost of 42 runs.

South Africa are 2-0 up in the series and chasing a whitewash, an outcome that would see them climb to second in the ICC’s test rankings.


Report Day 1
Report Day 2


SOUTH AFRICA: Dean Elgar (capt), Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, Theunis de Bruyn, Temba Bavuma, Zubayr Hamza, Quinton de Kock (wk), Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn, Duanne Olivier

PAKISTAN: Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali

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