Pakistan eliminated South Africa from the tri-nation series with centuries from captain Mohammad Rizwan and vice-captain Salman Ali Agha leading the home team to its highest-ever successful run chase in an ODI just a week ahead of Champions Trophy.
Rizwan struck an unbeaten 122 off 128 balls and Salman notched his maiden ODI hundred with 134 off 103 balls as they cruised Pakistan to 355-4 in 49 overs for a six-wicket victory Wednesday to set up Friday’s final against New Zealand.
Pakistan's previous highest successful chase was 349 against Australia at Lahore in 2022.
South Africa had earlier posted 352-5 — fourth-highest total at the newly upgraded National Bank Stadium — with Heinrich Klaasen (87), Matthew Breetzke (83) and captain Temba Bavuma (82) all missing out on centuries.
It was the second time in three days that South Africa lost after posting over 300 runs as it failed to defend 304 against New Zealand on Monday.
Rizwan and Salman dominate
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Rizwan and Salman decimated South Africa pace bowlers Lungi Ngidi (1-74), Corbin Bosch (1-70) and Wiaan Mulder (2-79) on a flat wicket and lightning outfield as they shared a Pakistan record of 260 runs in a match-winning fourth-wicket stand.
With frontline pace bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen joining the South Africa squad for Champions Trophy over the weekend, the three pace bowlers couldn’t pose threat to the pair of Rizwan and Salman in ideal batting conditions.
Mulder had struck twice in his opening spell but Pakistan still managed to rack up over 90 runs in the first power play of 10 overs in an ODI for the first time in 20 years with Fakhar Zaman making a quickfire 41 off 28 balls.
Babar Azam made 23 off 19 balls in the opening stand of 57 off 37 balls before Mulder pinned him leg before wicket and then found the outside of Fakhar’s bat with Klaasen holding onto a sharp catch to his left.
Rizwan and Salman took their time and watchfully played out spinners Tabraiz Shamsi (0-53) and Keshav Maharaj (0-54) in the middle overs before countercharging against the pace.
Rizwan reached his hundred off 106 balls in style with a monstrous six over mid-wicket to Mulder, and three balls later Salman completed his first ODI hundred off 87 balls with a single.
Ngidi got some consolation when Salman, who struck 16 fours and two sixes, edged the fast bowler with only two needed for victory before Tayyab Tahir sealed the game with the boundary off the first ball he faced.
Breetzke misses century
South Africa top-order batters also capitalized on a perfect batting wicket with only left-arm spinner Khushdil Shah (1-39) conceding less than run a ball.
Bavuma and Breetzke batted with lot of aggression against pace and spin after Toni de Zorzi (22), one of the four changes South Africa made from the first match, was brilliantly snapped by Salman in the first slip of Shaheen Shah Afridi (2-66).
Breetzke, who became the first batter to score 150 in his debut ODI on Monday, added 119 off 125 balls with Bavuma as Pakistan bowlers gave away too many lose deliveries.
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Bavuma, who hit 13 boundaries, got run-out in a mix-up with Breetzke in the 29th over, but South Africa continued to score at a brisk pace after Klaasen was promoted at No. 4 in his first outing in Pakistan.
Breetzke, overlooked for the Champions Trophy, looked set for his second successive century but Salman took up another stunning catch at short cover in the 39th over to deny South African another record.
Klaasen struck 11 fours and three sixes and played a key part in helping South Africa score 110 runs in the last 10 overs before he holed out in the deep in the penultimate over.
Kyle Verreynne made an unbeaten 44 off 32 balls as South Africa middle-order batters charged against the pace of Afridi and Mohammad Hasnain, who conceded 72 runs for no wickets in his eight overs after being inducted into the playing XI in place of injured Haris Rauf.