South Africa face daunting chase in Lahore

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP):

SOUTH AFRICA were a nervy 51-2 in pursuit of a record 277 runs to beat Pakistan after day three of the first Test at Gaddafi Stadium yesterday.

Ryan Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi, South Africa’s highest scorers from the first innings, were on 29 and 16, respectively, at stumps.

The highest successful run chase in Lahore was 208 in 1961 by England.

On Tuesday, 16 wickets fell as the spinners continued to prosper on the dry pitch with variable bounce.

Pakistan bowled out South Africa for 269 in the first hour to grab a 109-run first-innings lead, but then the home side were all out for 167 in 46.1 overs just after tea.

That still set a daunting target of 277, and Pakistan’s strike spinner, the 39-year-old Noman Ali, took out Proteas captain Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder cheaply for the second time in the match.

Rickelton, who survived a dropped catch, and de Zorzi handled the 15 overs to stumps, lifting South Africa from 18-2 to 51-2 at a little more than two runs per over.

De Zorzi started the day at the crease, resuming on 81 overnight. He entered the 90s with a reverse sweep to the boundary and lofted Noman over wide long-off for a six. De Zorzi reached his chanceless century which featured 10 fours and two sixes when he reverse-swept Noman for a single.

De Zorzi was finally out for 104 from 171 balls when Shaheen Shah Afridi held a well-judged low catch diving forward at long-on. That gave Noman his ninth five-wicket haul in 20 Test matches — the most by any Pakistan left-arm Test spinner.

Noman and Sajid Khan both bowled unchanged from the start of play, and South Africa added only 53 to their overnight 216-6.

Noman grabbed 6-112, and Khan took 3-98.

Pakistan were 36-2 by lunch then scored close to four runs an over in the second session.

Babar Azam top-scored with 42 and added 55 runs with Saud Shakeel (38). Babar, who has been struggling for runs in Test matches, survived an lbw review against Kagiso Rabada late in the first session before he scored, but he gained confidence against Senuran Muthusamy when he hit the spinner for four boundaries, including three off successive balls.

Babar was out lbw to a Rabada delivery nipped back, but Pakistan added 114 runs in the second session and extended the lead to 259.

Then Muthusamy lured Shakeel to go for a big shot at the stroke of tea and Pakistan lost their last six wickets for 17 runs in a dramatic collapse.

Muthusamy took 5-57 for a match haul of 11-174, the fourth best match figures by a South Africa spinner in Test cricket.

Simon Harmer complemented him with 4-51.