PORT ELIZABETH (South Africa), Jan 20: Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq hit 92 not out to dampen the celebrations of Makhaya Ntini, who took his 300th wicket for South Africa in the second Test on Saturday.

South Africa were 115 for three in their second innings at the close of the second day, a deficit of 26 runs.

Pakistan were dismissed for 265 in their first innings in reply to South Africa's 124.

Ntini, who went into the match with 295 victims and took four wickets on Friday, reached his milestone in the eighth over of the day when he had Mohammad Sami caught behind by wicket-keeper Mark Boucher for 10.

Ntini celebrated by lifting his playing shirt to reveal a T-shirt which said “Mdingi Express 300”.

Ntini, from the Eastern Cape village of Mdingi, became the third South African to take 300 Test wickets after the retired Allan Donald and team-mate Shaun Pollock. He ended the innings with six for 59.

Pakistan slipped to 191 for nine after fast bowler Jacques Kallis had Shoaib Akhtar caught by Boucher for four and medium pacer Pollock had Danish Kaneria caught by Herschelle Gibbs in the gully for one.

But South Africa's progress was held up by Pakistan captain Inzamam, who hit 13 fours in his unbeaten 92 and shared a 10th-wicket partnership of 74 with Mohammad Asif (7).

There was a setback for Pakistan, however, when fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar did not take the field at the start of the South African innings.

Shoaib, who was earlier seen in television pictures in an apparent verbal altercation with Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer, was said to have gone for a scan on a left hamstring injury.

Inzamam batted at No 8 after being off the field for much of South Africa's first innings after being hit in the left shoulder by a ball during fielding practice before the start of play on Friday.

The Pakistan captain came out to bat at the start of play on Saturday with his team tottering at 135 for six. Sami helped him add 31 for the seventh wicket and Inzamam skilfully farmed the strike to the frustration of the South African bowlers.

Inzamam was at his best in a last wicket stand with Asif, the best partnership of the match, with Asif having to face only nine balls out of 61 before lunch as Inzamam seemed easily to be able to score off the fifth or sixth balls of overs.Asif eventually faced 29 balls out of 122, the last of which uprooted his off stump as Ntini finished with six for 59.

Inzamam was fortunate to survive an appeal for a catch behind off Andre Nel when he was on 13 in the over after Sami's dismissal.

The ball went through to wicket-keeper Mark Boucher off Inzamam's pad and umpire Peter Parker gave him not out. But slow motion replays showed that he got an inside edge to the ball before it brushed his pad.

Inzamam was dropped on 35. An attempted hook shot against Jacques Kallis ballooned off his glove but Boucher, leaping high to his left, could only get the tip of his left glove to the ball.

South Africa, 141 behind on the first innings, stumbled to 18 for one in the fifth over before tea when Graeme Smith, who scored 10, edged a delivery from fast bowler Asif to first slip for Inzamam to take a diving catch.

Asif struck again to bowl A.B. de Villiers for 15, and South Africa were 61 for three when Sami uprooted Hashim Amla's middle stump for 16.

Kallis and Ashwell Prince steadied the innings with a stand of 54 for the unbroken fourth wicket. Kallis was 50 not out with Prince on 21.

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