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Pakistan beat SA by seven wickets to clinch ODI series

cricket08 November 2025 15:20| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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Pakistan’s spinners claimed eight wickets and opener Saim Ayub scored 77 as Pakistan comfortably beat South Africa by seven-wickets in the third and deciding one-day international at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Saturday.

Legspinner Abrar Ahmed led the way with a career best 4-27 from 10 overs to help dismiss the tourists for a dismal 143 in just 37.5 overs after choosing to bat first on a dry, well-used pitch and, although there were a couple of consolation wickets for South Africa, the hosts cruised to 144 for three in just 25.1 overs.

It was Pakistan’s first series win against South Africa on home soil at the fifth attempt and, despite a comprehensive loss by eight wickets in the second game during which Quinton de Kock scored his 22nd ODI century, they were excellent value for their long-awaited success.

Abrar was well supported by left-armers Salman Agha (4-0-18-2) and Mohammad Nawaz (9-0-31-2), who claimed a brace each before left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Afridi finished the innings with 2-18 from 4.5 overs.

There was little sign of the carnage to come when Lhuan-dre Pretorius dominated an opening stand of 72, with de Kock clipping four crisp boundaries and a straight six in his 39 from 45 balls before slicing another straight drive against Salman to Babar Azam at wide long off.

Tony de Zorzi’s painful struggle to two from 14 balls ended with a tame drive against the same bowler straight to extra cover, and De Kock was trapped lbw by Nawaz, two balls after reaching his 32nd ODI 50 to depart for a measured 53 from 70 balls with six fours and a pulled six.

Leggie Abrar ripped through the middle order with three quick wickets as debutant Rubin Hermann (1), Donovan Ferreira (7) and Corbin Bosch (0) were all clean bowled as the Proteas crashed to 117 for six.

Left-hander Herman failed to pick a classic googly, Ferreira missed a sweep and was bowled around his legs, while Bosch missed a top-spinner which kept low and was dismissed first ball. Bjorn Fortuin (3) was trapped lbw plumb in front of middle stump by Nawaz.

Captain Matthew Breetzke fought desperately to keep the innings afloat and build meaningful partnerships with the tailenders, but a thin edge against Abrar’s legspinner ended in ‘keeper Mohammad Rizwan’s gloves, and his 35-ball vigil for 16 runs was over with his team limping to 130 for eight.

With the spinners having claimed all of the first eight wickets, captain Shaheen returned to the attack and knocked over Nqaba Peter for a plucky 16 from 31 balls before clattering Lungi Ngidi’s stumps first ball.

South Africa’s own left arm fast bowler, Nandre Burger (5-1-29-1), bowled opener Fakhar Zaman with the second ball of the run chase and Babar Azam (27) was run out by Corbin Bosch but, although Saim Ayub holed out to long on against Bjorn Fortuin with just 14 run required, his composed and selective innings of 77 from just 70 balls had all-but won the match and the series.

South Africa’s test players now head to Kolkata for the first of two test matches against India on Friday.

PAKISTAN: Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (wkt), Salman Agha, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf

SOUTH AFRICA: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Tony de Zorzi, Matthew Breetzke (captain), Donovan Ferreira, Rubin Hermann, Corbin Bosch, Bjorn Fortuin, Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger, Nqabayomzi Peter

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