CAPE TOWN: Opening batsman Quinton de Kock launched an assault on Pakistan’s bowlers to set up a series-clinching win for South Africa in the fifth and final one-day international at Newlands on Wednesday.

De Kock slammed 83 off 58 balls as South Africa chased down a target of 241 with seven wickets and ten overs to spare to seal a 3-2 series win.

“Quinny made it easy for the rest of the batters,” said South African captain Faf du Plessis, who said he was “extremely happy” with the way his team had played.

“Our best performance came tonight in a crunch game,” he added.

While man-of-the-match De Kock sealed the win with his dazzling strokes, South Africa’s bowlers played a significant role by restricting Pakistan to 240 for eight despite an aggressive 70 by Fakhar Zaman.

While Zaman was at the crease, Pakistan were on course for a big total. He was fourth out after a 73-ball innings when the total was 128 in the 25th over.

But the scoring rate slowed after his dismissal, with only 49 runs scored in the next 15 overs.

“Our top three batters got starts and we wanted them to capitalise,” said Pakistan’s stand-in captain Shoaib Malik. “White-ball cricket is all about the first three batters.”

Imad Wasim, batting at number eight, gave the Pakistan innings late impetus, hitting 47 not out off 31 balls. He struck sixes off Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada in the last two overs.

De Kock went for his shots from the start of South Africa’s innings and had a let-off in the third over with his score on 12 when a mis-hit against Usman Shinwari looped to cover. But after asking for a replay, umpire Gregory Brathwaite no-balled Shinwari for overstepping.

De Kock went on to hit 11 fours and three sixes before he was again caught off Shinwari, this time off a legal delivery.

With the required rate reduced to less than three per over, Du Plessis and Rassie van der Dussen were untroubled in an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 95, with both batsmen hitting half-centuries.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN

Imam-ul-Haq c Pretorius b Steyn 8

F. Zaman c I. Tahir b Phehlukwayo 70

Babar Azam b Pretorius 24

Hafeez c De Kock b Phehlukwayo 17

Shoaib Malik run out (Pretorius) 31

Rizwan c De Kock b Pretorius 10

Shadab c Der Dussen b Mulder 19

Imad Wasim not out 47

Mohammad Amir b Rabada 6

Shaheen Shah Afridi not out 0

EXTRAS: (b1, lb1, w6) 8

TOTAL: (8 wkts, 50 overs) 240

BOWLING: Steyn 8-0-51-1 (1w), Imran Tahir 10-0-36-0, Rabada 10-1-43-1 (1w), Pretorius 10-1-46-2, Mulder 3-0-20-1 (1w), Phehlukwayo 9-0-42-2 (3w)

SOUTH AFRICA

Q. de Kock c sub b Shinwari 83

H. Amla c M. Rizwan b Afridi 14

R. Hendricks c Afridi b Amir 34

F. du Plessis not out 50

H. van der Dussen not out 50

EXTRAS: (lb1, nb1, w8) 10

TOTAL: (3 wkts, 40 overs) 241

BOWLING: Usman Shinwari 7-0-43-1 (1nb, 1w), Shaheen Shah Afridi 7-0-34-1 (2w), Mohammad Amir 8-0-40-1 (1w), Shadab Khan 10-0-78-0, Mohammad Hafeez 1-0-7-0, Imad Wasim 7-0-38-0 (1w)

RESULT: South Africa won by seven wickets

SERIES: South Africa won the five-match series 3-2.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2019