CAPE TOWN: South Africa won the first Twenty20 against Pakistan by six runs on Friday as captain Faf du Plessis led with the bat and David Miller produced a master class in the field.

South Africa posted 192-6, with du Plessis cracking 78 off 45 balls and opener Reeza Hendricks 74 off 41.

The home team should have gone on to an even bigger total after it was well set at 157-1 with five overs to go. South Africa still had enough to win as Miller took four catches in the outfield and pulled off two brilliant run outs with direct hits.

Pakistan managed 186-9 in their 20 overs.

Pakistan have won 11 straight T20 series dating to 2016, but South Africa have a good chance of ending that impre­ssive streak in this three-match contest.

South Africa also shrugged off the loss of wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock for the series with a groin injury, which was confirmed shortly before the game at Cape Town.

Du Plessis and Hendricks put on 131 for the second wicket off just 73 balls. Pakistan hit back with a flurry of late wickets to slow the Proteas down.

Pakistan were on course early in the chase, but Miller started to turn the game with an underhand flick to run out danger man Babar Azam for 38 at the non-striker’s end. He also ran out Mohammad Rizwan with a low throw from the outfield and took sharp catches to get rid of Asif Ali (13), Imad Wasim (4), Hasan Ali (11) and captain Shoaib Malik (49).

Miller was man of the match just for his fielding _ a rare feat.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA

R. Hendricks c Shadab Khan b Usman Shinwari 74
G. Cloete c Fakhar Zaman b Imad Wasim 13
F. du Plessis c Shoaib Malik b Usman Shinwari 78
H. van der Dussen c M. Rizwan b Usman Shinwari 0
D. Miller c Babar Azam b Faheem Ashraf 10
C. Morris c Babar Azam b Hasan Ali 1
H. Klaasen not out 5
A. Phehlukwayo not out 5

EXTRAS (lb4, nb1, w1) 6

TOTAL (6 wkts, 20 overs) 92

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-26 (Cloete), 2-157 (Du Plessis), 3-157 (Van der Dussen), 4-176 (R. Hendricks), 5-178 (Morris), 6-186 (Miller)

BOWLING: Shoaib Malik 1-0-12-0, Imad Wasim 4-0-23-1, Hasan Ali 4-0-34-1 (1nb), Faheem Ashraf 3-0-36-1, Shadab Khan 3-0-38-0, Usman Shinwari 4-0-31-3, Hussain Talat 1-0-14-0 (1w)

DID NOT BAT: B. Hendricks, J. Dala, T. Shamsi

PAKISTAN

Fakhar Zaman c R. Hendricks b B. Hendricks 4
Babar Azam run out (Miller) 38
Hussain Talat c B. Hendricks b Shamsi 40
Shoaib Malik c Miller b Morris 49
Asif Ali c Miller b Morris 13
Imad Wasim c Miller b Shamsi 4
Faheem Ashraf c Klaasen b Phehlukwayo 8
Mohammad Rizwan run out (Miller) 2
Hasan Ali c Miller b B. Hendricks 11
Shadab Khan not out 7
Usman Shinwari not out 0

EXTRAS (b1, lb2, w7) 10

TOTAL (9 wkts, 20 overs) 186

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-4 (Zaman), 2-85 (Talat), 3-93 (Azam), 4-113 (Asif), 5-118 (Imad), 6-144 (Ashraf), 7-152 (Rizwan), 8-164 (Hasan), 9-179

BOWLING: B. Hendricks 4-0-40-2 (3w), Dala 4-0-44-0 (2w), Morris 4-0-39-2 (1w), Phehlukwayo 4-0-27-1, Shamsi 4-0-33-2

RESULT: South Africa won by 6 runs

TOSS: Pakistan

UMPIRES: Adrian Holdstock, Bongani Jele (both RSA)

TV UMPIRE: Allahudien Paleker (RSA)

MATCH REFEREE: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2019