2.4. South Africa seal series with tight win

Ibrahim Moiz
16/2/2013

Allrounders Vernon Philander and Robin Peterson led South Africa to a closely fought four-wicket win that clinched yet another series win to foil Pakistan on the fourth day at Cape Town. After the visitors’ lower order buckled in a heap to lose the last six wickets for 22 runs, South Africa were left with a fourth-innings target of 182, which Hashim Amla’s fluent half-century managed to secure despite another fine spell from Saeed Ajmal.

Ajmal finished the game with ten wickets and made South Africa sweat for a modest target, but it was Philander’s nine that would eventually result in victory as the South African allrounder delivered another virtuoso of swing and seam on his home ground, taking 9 for 99 in the game. This included a critical phase in the mid-morning that saw Pakistan’s lower order collapse in an undignified heap—from a solid position at 147 for 4, with a target somewhere near 250 not out of expectations, they tumbled in a heap against Philander’s swing and Peterson’s spin. And South Africa, anchored by Amla, set a lively pace in the chase—only Ajmal was able to pose any sort of problems and despite a cluster of late wickets, South Africa sauntered home to end an entertaining Test and seal another series.

Pakistan had nobody but themselves to blame after the clumsy collapse; captain Misbah-ul-Haq (44) had set the tone with an awkward sweep off left-armer Peterson that lobbed off the glove to short fine leg, but even so, with Azhar Ali (65, seven fours) notching up a slow but stubborn half-century and Asad Shafiq in form, the game was evenly poised when the collapse came.

It started in unfortunate fashion, when Shafiq’s forward defense off Philander bounced back, almost mockingly, into his bails, but the three consecutive wickets that followed put Pakistan in freefall. Sarfraz Ahmed was left looking especially foolish when he withdrew from playing a Peterson ball from over the stumps that knocked out his off-stump, before Azhar and Umar Gul both nicked Philander behind off consecutive balls. The tail exposed, Pakistan were soon finished off for a sub-par target with Dale Steyn returning to strike the final blow.

The early wicket of Alviro Petersen—who first top-edged a Mohammad Irfan no-ball to mid-on before missing a full straight Gul ball—may have stirred thoughts of a fightback, but they were soon quashed. The profligacy of Gul and Tanvir Ahmed, whose combined 13 overs went for 80, was a luxury Pakistan could ill-afford, and Amla’s consecutive boundaries off Mohammad Hafeez, who really should have bowled more, successfully dissuaded Misbah-ul-Haq from giving the off-spinning allrounder more overs.

Amla’s delightful off-side strokeplay ranged from clinical to breathtaking, a marvellous snap of the wrists at the point of impact sending the ball whirring in the arc between point and extra cover. There were cameos from Graeme Smith (29 off 39), Jacques Kallis (21 off 30), and AB de Villiers (36 off 45) to send the game whisking away from Pakistan; with Tanvir’s half-volleys landing right in the slot for the off-drive South Africa motored along, with only Ajmal’s strikes serving to impede them.

Ajmal beat an ugly Smith sweep and caught Kallis in the crease (88 for 3), but the subsequent 62-run canter between Amla and de Villiers was the only time that South Africa’s batsmen flourished against the impressive off-spinner. The pair used their feet beautifully, dancing down to loft Ajmal down the ground, and even the spinner’s general accuracy and threat couldn’t compensate for the lack of support from the other end. The cheeky de Villiers managed to send off the towering Irfan, clubbing a short ball over midwicket and then dabbing another, from round the stumps, down to third man.

Ajmal eventually bested Amla with a beautifully flighted off-break and trapped the attacking Faf du Plessis; Tanvir, meanwhile, had de Villiers nick a swipe off a floating wide half-volley. But by now South Africa were on the brink of victory, signed off by Dean Elgar and Robin Peterson, and the visitors were left to rue their critical indiscipline in an encounter too tight to afford it.