October 12, 2007	Friday	Ramazan 29, 1428

LAHORE, Oct 11: Pakistan cricket team, chasing a world record total of 457 to win the second Test, finally showed a bit of muscle here when they finished the fourth day on 108-1 after superb hundreds from South African skipper Graeme Smith and the indomitable Jacque Kallis had put the visitors in an impregnable position at Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.

Smith scored 133, his first three-figure score in 34 innings, and Jacques Kallis blasted 107 not out as South Africa declared their second innings at 305-4, just five minutes before the tea-break.

Pakistan, already one-down in the two-match series are left with a gigantic task of saving the match since a victory seems highly improbable in the face of the odds stacked against them.

It was to the credit of Shoaib Malik’s men that they responded manfully to the massive target ahead of them and ended the day at 108 for the loss of opener Salman Butt (6) who was well caught by substitute Shaun Pollock off Makhaya Ntini, paying for his rush of blood.

But the home side recovered well from the loss when Younis Khan alongwith Kamran Akmal plundered a quickfire 93 runs in a 129-minute unbeaten second-wicket stand.

Kamran, the makeshift opener, was batting at well-compiled 49, studded with seven boundaries, while Younis ended the day with a 76-ball 48, cracking eight sweetly timed strokes to the fence.

However, the manner in which off-spinner Paul Harris had started his spell, conceding just 12 runs from 10 overs including five maidens, looked threatening for the hosts. He was well backed up by fast bowler Dale Steyn who gave away just 25 runs in seven hostile overs, showing every intention of making the life difficult for the Pakistani batsmen on Friday.

With 90 overs’ play remaining on the last day of the Test, Pakistan have to score 349 runs more for a record win, at almost four-run-per-over. The win will not only equal the series for them but also will make Pakistan a record-holder of chasing the biggest target in Test cricket, eclipsing the existing 418 achieved by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2004.

Earlier, Pakistan looked out of sorts and quite demoralised in the first two sessions as Smith and Kallis dominated the proceedings. They resumed the innings at overnight score of 154-2 and eventually separated after putting on 207 runs for the third-wicket.

Kallis had a life at individual score of 47 when Shoaib Malik, unable to anticipate the catch at long-off, dropped a lofted drive from the big man. But except that one lapse of concentration, both the batsmen played imperiously as Pakistan’s bowlers –Danish Kaneria and Abdul Rehman in particular - toiled hard for success.

Pakistan took the new ball in the 90th over after a delay of 10 overs, but surprisingly, both Kaneria and Rehman remained unchanged, despite the fact that Umar was in the field.

Smith begun from 75 and Kallis from 37 and with singles and many dots completed the 100-run of partnership in 160 minutes off 230 balls. With Yasir Hameed, Sohail Tanvir and Faisal Iqbal taking turns to substitute for a feverish Inzamam and injured Mohammad Asif, the home team looked in total disarray on this fourth day.

Captain Shoaib again opted to remain away from bowling which is a mystery to many. It has been learnt that the captain carried a shoulder injury before the start of the Test.

Smith completed his 12th Test century just before lunch-break, with 12 fours for which he stayed for 358 minutes to negotiate 254 balls. He was eventually caught by substitute Yasir off Kaneria for 133.

Kallis, later, completed his 27th Test century and third of the current series with eight boundaries off 231 balls and remained unbeaten till the end. Vice-captain Ashewell Prince, who was clean bowled for 11 for a second time by Abdul Rehman in the Test was the fourth batsman to depart on Thursday. Kallis with new man AB de Villiers (8 not out) further increased the total to 305 in 110.3 overs, before Smith declared the innings, minutes before tea-break.

Abdul Rehman gave away 112 runs for his two wickets in a marathon bowling spell of 42 overs runs.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA 2nd INNS

G.C. Smith c sub Hameed b Kaneria 133

H.H. Gibbs c Akmal b Gul 16

H.M. Amla b Rehman 17

J.H. Kallis not out 107

A.G. Prince b Rehman 11

A.B. de Villiers not out 8

EXTRAS: (NB-1, B-12) 13

TOTAL: (for 4 wkts decl) 305

FALL OF WKTS: 1-34, 2-66, 3-273, 4-290

BOWLING: Asif 4-1-14-0, Umar 16-3-48-1 (NB-1), Kaneria 44.3-11-99-1, Rehman 42-7-112-2, Younis 4-0-20-0

PAKISTAN 2nd INNS

Salman Butt c sub b Ntini 6

Kamran Akmal not out 49

Younis Khan not out 48

EXTRAS: (B-2, LB-3) 5

TOTAL: (for one wkt) 108

FALL OF WKTS: 1-15

BOWLING: Steyn 7-2-25-0, Ntini 6-2-24-1, Kallis 2-0-5-0, Nel 6-1-37-0, Harris 10-5-12-0.