JOHANNESBURG: Pakistan have completed an unprecedented clean sweep of their One-Day International series in South Africa with victory by 36 runs in the third and final clash at The Wanderers on Sunday.

This is the first time ever that South Africa has failed to win even a single match in a home ODI series. Their previous drubbing was 1-5 against Australia in 2002, but this will taste bitterly at the home side, especially with the Champions Trophy in a couple of months’ time.

South Africa asked the tourists to bat in a game reduced to 47 overs per side due to rain and Pakistan amassed 308 for nine, boosted by Saim Ayub’s scored 101 from 94 balls — the left-handed opener’s second century of the series and his third in nine ODIs.

Ayub hit 113 not out in the second one-day game against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo last month and 109 in the series opener against South Africa in Paarl last week.

Fifties from Babar Azam and captain Mohammad Rizwan, and Salman Agha’s 48 from 33 balls provided useful contributions in support as Pakistan took advantage of a largely inexperienced South African bowling attack.

South Africa had their target reduced by one run to 308 via the DuckworthLewisStern method but lost wickets at regular intervals.

For the third successive match, Heinrich Klaasen was the only South African to make a half-century. He kept South Africa ahead of the required run rate until he was sixth man out, caught on the square leg boundary off Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 29th over.

The Proteas were bowled out with five overs remaining as debutant Corbin Bosch was left stranded on 40 not out from 44 balls.

Ayub followed up his century by taking one for 34 in 10 overs with his mixture of off-spin and carrom balls, claiming the key wicket of David Miller and producing the most economical figures by any bowler in the match.

The teams start a two-match test series in Pretoria on Thursday. South Africa need to win one of those fixtures to guarantee a place in next year’s World Test Championship final at Lord’s.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2024