Pakistan, as they did on Friday, failed to cross the 200 mark, the rival pace attack led by Shaun Pollock restricting them to 192, a total which the tourists then overhauled in 45.5 overs to claim a well-deserved victory.
The win was all the more creditable for the South Africans as they also missed all-rounder Andrew Hall who was banned along with Smith on Saturday for breaching the ICC’s code of conduct in an incident during the second International at Lahore last week.
The South African triumph was made possible by Pollock, who snared three wickets, as Andre Nel and Makhaya Ntini winged in to take two apiece.
The batsmen then played their part to perfection too, openers Herschelle Gibbs and Boeta Dippennar putting on 75 for the first wicket.
Gibbs, stumped by Rashid Latif off a Danish Kaneria delivery, struck 34 as Pakistan bowlers toiled under lights before a packed stadium.
Dippennar, adjudged Man-of-the-Match as well as Man-of-the-Series, stroked a blazing 74 to be the top scorer hitting five boundaries and was also involved in a 93-run stand for the second wicket with Jacques Kallis who scored 40.
Both batsmen fell to paceman Muhammad Sami in the 40th over of the innings. First Kallis went back after a 55-ball innings and then Dippenaar followed after facing 126 deliveries.
The South African victory came in the 46th over, Jacques Rudolph hitting the winning runs.
Pakistan were certainly not up to the mark and while the bowlers sweated, the batsmen were again a big disappointment.
They had made a poor start, opener Mohammad Hafeez letting the side down again, falling to Nel for nought. In what has been a miserable series for him, he has scored only 33 runs in five matches and took five wickets.
The home side were rocked further, Pollock earning a controversial lbw decision against star batsman Yousuf Youhana, who too went for a duck. Television replays showed the ball going down the leg side and hitting him high but Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar, had no hesitation in raising his finger.
With two down and just 16 runs to show, Pakistan lost opener Yasir Hameed, Nel striking again having the batsman caught by Kallis for 28.
Inzamam-ul-Haq, returning to the side after missing the last two games at Faisalabad and Rawalpindi because of a hamstring injury, then did some damage control along with Younis Khan, putting on 40 runs for the fourth wicket. But he didn’t do enough and fell in a manner he is known for — run out from a direct throw by Rudolph after scoring a patient 17.
Younis soon followed becoming Robin Peterson’s victim in the bowler’s very first over and at 79 for five a disaster seemed imminent.
Shoaib Malik, who had set the Gaddafi Stadium ablaze with 82 in the first International in Lahore, could not do much either, his wicket going to Peterson in the 32nd over.
Later Rashid Latif and Razzaq stepped up the pace somewhat and were involved in a 36-run stand for the seventh wicket. However with the fall of the two batsmen, Pakistan were firmly against the wall.
Razzaq, who sat out Friday’s match that Pakistan lost by six wickets because of a stomach ailment, was the top man with the bat scoring 38 runs striking three boundaries.
Rashid crashed to the pace of Pollock as he attempted to go for a big one in the 48th over, only to see his stumps uprooted.
But it was asking too much from the Pakistan batsmen who crumbled in their second successive game, barely managing to improve upon their Friday’s score of 157.
Pakistan made three changes to the side that was beaten in the fourth International. Faisal Iqbal, Naved Latif and Shabbir Ahmed being replaced by captain Inzamam, Razzaq and Kaneria.
South Africa brought in Neil McKenzie and Alan Dawson.
PAKISTAN:
Yasir Hameed c Kallis b Nel 28
Mohammad Hafeez b Nel 0
Yousuf Youhana lbw b Pollock 0
Younis Khan b Peterson 24
Inzamam-ul-Haq run out 17
Shoaib Malik c Nel b Peterson 20
Abdul Razzaq c Boucher b Ntini 38
Rashid Latif b Pollock 25
Mohammad Sami c Kallis b Ntini 22
Shoaib Akhtar c sub (van Wyk) b Pollock 6
Danish Kaneria not out 1
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-4, W-6) 11
TOTAL (all out, 49.3 overs) 192
FALL OF WKTS: 1-3, 2-16, 3-35, 4-75, 5-80, 6-116, 7-152, 8-180, 9-186.
BOWLING: Pollock 9.3-0-33-3 (1w); Nel 8-0-36-2 (3w); Dawson 7-0-26-0 (1w); Ntini 9-1-38-2; Kallis 6-0-22-0 (1w); Peterson 10-0-32-2.
SOUTH AFRICA:
H.H. Dippenaar lbw b Sami 74
H.H. Gibbs st Rashid b Kaneria 34
J.H. Kallis b Sami 40
J.A. Rudolph not out 13
N.D. McKenzie not out 9
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-4, W-11, NB-7) 23
TOTAL (for three wkts, 45.5 overs) 193
FALL OF WKTS: 1-75, 2-168, 3-170.
DID NOT BAT: M.V. Boucher, S.M. Pollock, R.J. Peterson, A.C. Dawson, M. Ntini, A. Nel.
BOWLING: Shoaib Akhtar 8-0-33-0 (1nb, 5w); Mohammad Sami 10-0-47-2 (1nb, 2w); Abdul Razzaq 10-0-33-0 (2nb); Mohammad Hafeez 3.5-0-18-0; Danish Kaneria 10-1-37-1 (2nb, 1w); Shoaib Malik 4-0-20-0 (1nb, 3w).
RESULT: South Africa won by seven wickets to clinch series 3-2.
UMPIRES: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and D.B. Hair (Australia).
TV UMPIRE: Asad Rauf (Pakistan).
MATCH REFEREE: C.H. Lloyd (West Indies).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Boeta Dippenaar.
MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Boeta Dippenaar.
FIRST MATCH: Lahore, Pakistan won by eight runs.
SECOND MATCH: Lahore, Pakistan won by 42 runs.
THIRD MATCH: Faisalabad, South Africa won by 13 runs (D/L method).
FOURTH MATCH: Rawalpindi, South Africa won by six wickets.