South Africa Claim Series Win Over Struggling Pakistan

South Africa Claim Series Win Over Struggling Pakistan

©REUTERS/Nikhil Monteiro (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Tags: SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

South Africa 317-5 (Kallis 83, Amla 62, de Villiers 61) beat
Pakistan 260 (Umar Akmal 60, Mohammad Hafeez 59) by 57 runs
Fifth One-Day International, Dubai
Scorecard

South Africa secured a comprehensive 57-run win over Pakistan having dominated the decisive fifth One-Day International in Dubai with a polished all-round performance.

Four batsmen scored half-centuries as South Africa scored 317 for five and Pakistan were then bowled out for 260 in reply.

Pakistan, however, were plunged into crisis before the match when it was revealed that wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider, who hit the winning runs in the fourth match, was not with the team and was on his way to London, according to some reports to escape match-fixers who had made death threats against him.

Umar Akmal took the gloves and Mohammad Yousuf was surprisingly recalled following his recent arrival with the rest of the Test squad.

Hashim Amla (62), Jacques Kallis (83), AB de Villiers (61) and JP Duminy (59 not out) proceeded to take the Pakistan attack apart as they posted the highest score of the series so far by some distance.

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi grabbed two wickets but little could stem the flow of runs for long.

Pakistan then made an excellent start to their run chase as openers Shahzaib Hasan (39) and Mohammad Hafeez (59) took the fight to South Africa with an enterprising 82-run partnership.

South Africa hit back through Jacques Kallis, who took three wickets in four overs to stop Pakistan in their tracks and despite some big hitting in Umar Akmals' 60 in 71 balls, Afridi's 24 and Abdul Razzaq's 39, they fell short as left-arm spinner Robin Peterson also picked up three wickets.

Kallis returned three for 30 and Peterson three for 42.

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