Scorecard:

Pakistan: 148 for 7 (20 overs)

(Umar Akmal 51 off 33 balls, Kamran Akmal 37 off 33 balls, Afridi 30 off 18 balls, Langeveldt 4 for 19)

South Africa: 137 for 7 (20 overs)

(DeVilliers 53 off 41 balls, Kallis 22 off 21 balls, Ajmal 4 for 26, Rehman 2 for 35)

Pakistan today put up a moderate target for the South Africans. Pakistan began too cautiously, going by the ruckus at home where a witch hunt has already begun. They were a dismal 23 for 3 in 7 overs! Their caution was to no avail and they were going at less than 3.3 an over and still had lost 3 wickets. Well, this strategy was not working. And there were possibly just 13 overs left for them in tournament. They picked up a little to be 50 for 3 in 10 overs. The 2 Akmals had been there for 6.2 overs putting up 32 runs. Then they decided to give it one last charge. And by the end of 16 overs they were 124 for 4. In 6 overs they had added 74 runs! Well, this charge gave them the confidence and they could finish at 148 adding 24 runs from last 24 balls. Nothing great, but surely defendable if they bowl right today!

South Africa began the now famous Zulu Freeze. They choked once again. They just couldn’t move the scoreboard. They didn’t have a single double digit over, till it was quite late. In 14 overs they were 78 for 4. Now with 71 runs to get and 6 overs in hand, things were getting very tough. DeVilliers did give it one last heave and got 20 runs in the 15th over. But that was it, he went in the next over and then there was just no resistance as Pakistani bowlers walked all over the remaining batsmen.

Tweet This Post