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South Africa comfortably win the first
ODI by eight wickets

Paceman Lonwabo Tsotsobe took 4 wickets and Jacques Kallis hit an unbeaten 50 to help a disciplined S Africa down Pakistan by 8 wickets in the first one-day match on Friday.

Lonwabo Tsotsobe made Pakistan suffer once again. The left-arm quick returned with career-best bowling figures and all-rounder Jacques Kallis battled cramps and heat to score a half-century as South Africa kept the foot on the gas in the first One-Day International of the Bank Al Falah presents Cool & Cool Cup at the Shaikh Zayed International Cricket Stadium on Friday night.

Tsotsobe, who took three wickets in the first T20 and two wickets in the second game, snapped up four for 27, and Kallis made 66 from 88 balls with five boundaries and a six as South Africa scored a comprehensive eight-wicket win with 64 balls to spare.

AB de Villiers scored 51 from 53 balls with six boundaries, while opener Hashim Amla made 35 from 29 balls with three boundaries and a six.

Opener and captain Graeme Smith was hit in the hand by a Shoaib Akhtar snorter and retired hurt on 18.

Pakistan, who had reinforcements in Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq, came up with a pretty decent start before crawling to 203 all out in 49 overs. Opener Mohammed Hafeez top scored with 68 from 84 balls with seven boundaries, while Younis Khan made 54 from 75 balls with two boundaries, on his return to the international action.

Earlier, Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi won the toss for the third time running and opted to take first strike. Opener Asad Shafiq was included while the other two openers Imran Farhat and Shahzaib Hassan were dropped. Umar Akmal, who is going through a lean run, was dropped. Fawad Alam was included.

South Africa left out Albie Morkel, Loots Bosman and Rusty Theron and in came Kallis and Amla.

Middle-order collapse

Pakistan had struggled with their starts in the two T20s but they came up with a much improved show before spluttering towards the middle of the innings and the end. From a decent 140 for one in 30 overs, Pakistan suffered a middle order collapse before just about managing to cross the 200-mark.

Asad Shafiq walked out with Mohammed Hafeez to open the innings and Shafiq was right on it, flicking the first ball of the innings from Charl Langeveldt, off his pads for a boundary.

Pakistan lost their first wicket as Shafiq was caught at mid-off by Amla off Tsotsobe. Shafiq made 19 from 36 balls with three boundaries.

Younis walked out to the middle and he and Hafeez ensured Pakistan didn’t encounter any more batting nightmares. Hafeez played the shots while Younis anchored it perfectly.

Hafeez did earn a reprieve when on six after Kallis failed to hold on to a tough chance off Tsotsobe.

The duo brought the Pakistan 100 up in 22.3 overs. Hafeez then moved onto his half-century with a single through mid-wicket off Morkel. It was his sixth half-century and it came off 63 balls with six boundaries.

The duo took the score along to 140 for 1 in 30 overs before spinner Johan Botha terminated the partnership, removing Hafeez, caught by Langeveldt. The duo had patiently put on 114 runs for the second wicket, which was the highest second wicket partnership for Pakistan this year.

Then, Younis brought up his 38^th half-century from 67 balls. His knock showed how an innings could be built patiently. He scored two boundaries and had 29 dot balls.

Misbah-ul-Haq made 14 from 25 balls before Tsotsobe came up with a dream spell. Tsotsobe, whose first spell read 6-2-18-1, snapped up three wickets in three overs. He removed Misbah, caught by Colin Ingram before having Afridi swallowed by Smith, in the same over.

Pakistan were in a spot of bother at 177 for 7 before Shoaib Akhtar hit the only six of Pakistan’s innings, which took them past 200. Pakistan eventually were all out for 203 in 49 overs.

james@khaleejtimes.com