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Shoaib burst powers Pak win over SA

P Rajendran

Well, if tournaments, and not matches, are what you judge teams by, then this game wasn't really important. But this was the only chance the Pakistanis had prior to the high-pressure final to beat South Africa for the first time in 15 matches. And they very nearly messed it up.

With a batting alternating between wild aggression and excessive caution, even the bad balls got away. And some pretty ordinary numbers took some wickets.

The South Africans were leaping onto everything in the field though and that made the bowlers look far more formidable that they were today.

Pollock, though, was bang on from ball one, bowling on or outside off, short, but not too short. And it paid off for the captain today in ball three, when the talented Imran Nazir fished at a rising ball and gave the edge for Boucher to gratefully pouch.

The new left-arm bowler, Charl Willoughby kept angling across the batsman, but giving it enough width to hit. If it were not for the Pakistani's inability to find the gaps and the lightning-fast Herschelle Gibbs, it could have proved costly. Derek Crookes kept drifting to leg and overpitching, Lance Klusener looked a shadow of his best and Strydom was about average. Only Hayward in the second line of attack,

But the damage done early made aggression rather a difficult proposition. And, later, despite the low score on the board, the pressure got to the South African fielders too, particularly in the absence of senior members, including Hansie Cronje.

As we mentioned, the first wicket went in the third ball itself. And in the second ball of the second over, Younis Khan chased a ball leaving him and left varnish on the ball flying through to the keeper. And Pakistan was 12/2.

Things seem to stabilise a bit, particularly with Inzamam showing that he was in good nick, hitting a few boundaries despite the sharp fielding. But Klusener finally got one to come in and hit Afridi on the pad. The appeal was turned down. The very next ball Afridi gave him the charge and the ball swung in inexorably to take out leg stump. He was that odd mix of caution and the rare case of intrepidity. Whatever, the score was 42/3, none too healthy for the Pakistanis.

An anchor was needed and Yousuf Youhana came in to provide just that.

Just when it seemed that the two may make a partnership, a ball that appeared to be drifting legward but wasn't rapped Inzamam on the pads. The batsman thought there was some bat in it but since the umpire didn't Inzamam has to slouch back to the pavilion.

Captain Moin Khan came out and on the last ball of Hayward's over, played a little early spooning the ball not too high off the ground. But Hayward dived like he had his baby attached to it and came up with the ball attached to his fingertips. 61/5.

This was about when the bowling slackened with Klusener and Strydom not being able to capitalise on the Pakistanis caution, and Crookes drifting freely down leg. Though the batsmen could not really take advantage of the loose balls the pressure on them had eased appreciably.

After Razzaq was out at 96, trying to finish a desperate single before Klusener hit the stumps, it all seemed a matter of time. Youhana forced the pace and got away with a skier that Klusenser just managed to get his fingertips to.

Pollock comes back to arrest the rot and, bowling tightly between wickets. But Akram managed a few aggressive shots, and a warm exchange with Hayward, before whacking a full toss down to a diving Derek Crookes. Pakistan 124/7.

After some last-minute pyrotechnics along with Shoaib Akhtar, Youhana was the last man out, run out and caught on the line after dropping his bat. He had made 65 in 88 balls.

It seemed clear that the South Africans were in no danger at all in their reply. And with Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten appeared to be cruising along at 26 in six overs for no loss.

But at 8, Kirsten suddenly had a back spasm and collapsed. He had to be carried off the field. And, barring some spirited shots by Gibbs, that too appeared to break the back of the South African response.

Gibbs, unlike his usual self, didn't go for the wild shots that he tends to make when things are going right for him, and stroked around the wicket fluently. As he got more adventurous and played some shots through the air, he was lucky enough to see Imran Nazir let it slip out of his fingers.

At the 15-over stage, South Africa appeared to be cruising at 71/1.

Then Shoaib Akthar came on and got the climbing ball to nick Boucher's bad. The umpire didn't think it was a no-ball and that was it for Boucher.

Akthar was flinging in the stuff with a great deal of power, having a few balls in excess of 154 kmph. The fourth express number from him had Benkenstein flinching and fending. The ball missed bat and hit the stumps. And two balls later, Klusener was walking back, having misread the inswinger. SA 74/4.

With Kirsten already out of the reckoning, that was equivalent to 74/5.

The next over was from Akram and a outswinging delivery had Pollock chasing it to give an edge that Inzamam at slips latched onto. The next over saw Shoaib Akthar's groin injury acting up and he left the field, leaving it to Razzaq to complete the over.

And Razzaq struck lucky when, after a ball leaving leg hit Strydom on the pad, Peter Manuel gave it out. But the stuffing of the Proteas has been knocked out. That was 80/6 then.

There was some drama when Akhtar came back and tried to bowl and gave up after one ball.

Anyway, the damage was done. The South Africans went through the motions, with Gibbs trying some desperate heaves at the death. But he finally had to stand and watch Razzaq knock back the wicket of last man Charl Willoughby. And Pakistan had won the match comprehensively by 67 runs.

The happenings today have implications on the final. Pakistan is more confident after having won their first match in 15, as captain Moin Khan himself admitted at the presentation. But the damage to Kirsten and Shoaib Akhtar could Both teams have injured team members now -- Kirsten in one and Akhtar in the other.

The South Africans have been able too judge the weaknesses of their youngsters here, while the Pakistanis have been able to assess their strengths.

And that, hopefully, should make for a better competition tomorrow.

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