Brilliant de Kock century leads SA to series-levelling ODI victory

Quinton de Kock put the icing on his return to international cricket with a 22nd ODI century as South Africa romped to an emphatic eight-wicket victory with 9.5 overs to spare to level the series at 1-1 in the second of three matches against Pakistan at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Thursday.

De Kock was at his sublime and destructive best with eight fours and seven sixes in his imperious, unbeaten 123 from just 119 deliveries, leading the Proteas to 270 for two in only 40.1 overs, replying to Pakistan’s below-par total of 269 for nine after choosing to bat first.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius dominated an opening stand of 81 with 46 from 40 deliveries (7x4, 1x6) before edging a drive against fat bowler Mohammad Wasim to keeper Mohammad Rizwan, but Tony de Zorzi consolidated before accelerating rapidly to a convincing 76 from 63 balls with nine fours and three sixes.

Just 36 runs were required when a thick outside edge to backward point ended De Zorzi’s innings, but captain Matthew Breetzke ensured there were no late wobbles with an assured 17* to escort de Kock over the finish line.

De Kock, however, was the talk of the town – two of his seven sixes driven over long off and extra cover providing ample evidence of a batsman still very much on top of his game. Two slog-sweeps and a sumptuous hook from the peak of his helmet also went the full distance.

Earlier, Nandre Burger ripped through Pakistan’s top order with three quick wickets before Salman Agha led an often painfully slow recovery on a slow, awkward pitch, which became easier for batsmen in the second innings with dew negating seam movement.

Left-arm fast bowler, Burger (4-46), struck with the third ball of the match when Fakhar Zaman gloved a pull shot to ‘keeper de Kock and twice more in his third over when Babar Azam (11) edged to Donovan Ferreira at slip and Mohammad Rizwan (4) was bowled off an inside edge attempting to leave the ball.

But opener Saim Ayub (53) added a mostly painstaking 92 in 20 overs with Salman to repair the early damage before a full-blooded drive against Corbin Bosch resulted in a remarkable, reflex catch by the bowler in his follow-through.

Salman reached his half-century from 82 balls with just three boundaries before Bosch ripped through his defences with a straight yorker to bowl him for 69 from 106 balls with five fours.

Hussain Talat meandered to 10 from 20 balls before chipping a return catch to legspinner Nqaba Peter (8-0-55-3) but just when it seemed the home side would struggle to reach 220 at 131-5 with 20 overs remaining, Mohammad Nawaz and allrounder Faheem Ashraf finally started to find the boundary during a sixth wicket stand of 59.

Left-hander Ashraf included two straight-driven sixes in his 28 from 18 balls before hooking a slower-ball bouncer from Burger to Pretorius on the square leg boundary and captain Shaheen Afridi slogged his second ball from Peter straight up for the bowler to claim the catch.

Nawaz, however, remained until the final over during which he slog-swept Peter for a pair of sixes and a four before hoisting the penultimate ball back to the bowler to depart for an excellent run-a-ball 59 with three fours and four sixes.

But fast bowler Naseem Shah straight drove the final ball for a third six to take 22 runs from the over and transform the target from ‘modest’ to ‘challenging’. Captain Matthew Breetzke’s decision to bowl Peter in the 48th and 50th overs was brave but contributed to Pakistan scoring 90 from the final 10 overs.

The final and deciding match in the series takes place at the same venue on Saturday.

PAKISTAN: Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (wkt), Salman Agha, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi (captain), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah.

SOUTH AFRICA: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Tony de Zorzi, Matthew Breetzke (captain), Sinethemba Qeshile, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Bjorn Fortuin, Nqabayomzi Peter, Nandre Burger.