- Saim Ayub’s career best T20I score of 98 not out goes in vain
- Scorecard is available here
Centurion, 13 December 2024: Reeza Hendricks’ cracking century took South Africa to a series-clinching seven-wicket win over Pakistan in the second T20I here at the SuperSport Park, Centurion on Friday evening.
Hendricks (117, 63b, 7x4s, 10x6s), who smashed his maiden T2oI ton in his 78th outing for South Africa in the format, also shared a record 157-run third-wicket stand with Rassie van der Dussen (66 not out, 38b, 3x4s, 5x6s) to help their team surmount the mammoth 207-run target with three balls to spare.
South Africa required 19 runs off the last two overs after Hendricks fell to Mohammad Abbas Afridi in the 18th over. Haris Rauf’s penultimate over gave 12 runs following which van der Dussen sealed the game with a six on the third ball of the last over to hand South Africa an unassailable 2-0 lead.
South Africa’s pursuit of the target began with Jahandad Khan removing opener Ryan Rickelton in the second over and No.3 batter Matthew Breetzke in the fourth over with the score reading 28-2 in four overs. For the next 83 balls Hendricks and van der Dussen smashed 13 sixes and seven fours to keep Pakistan on their toes during a match-winning partnership.
Earlier, after opting to bat first, Pakistan were catapulted to 206-run total courtesy Saim Ayub’s blazing 57-ball 98 not out, as the southpaw registered his maiden T20I half-century with the help of 11 fours and five sixes. Saim joined forces with Babar Azam to put on an audacious 87-run second-wicket partnership after skipper Rizwan fell in the fourth over with 16 runs on the board.
Saim pulled the plug in the 5th over smashing Kwena Maphaka for six followed by consecutive boundaries to set the tone of the Pakistan innings as they accumulated 45 runs in the PowerPlay and were 90-1 at the halfway mark.
Babar fell to George Linde in the 12th over for a 20-ball 31 laced with three fours and one six during the course of which he also completed 14,000 international runs, becoming only the fifth Pakistan batter to do so and crossed the 11,000 T20 runs milestone.
Pakistan lost two quick wickets in Usman Khan and Tayyab Tahir in the middle overs after which Muhammad Irfan Khan (30, 16b, 3x4s, 2x6s) partnered with Saim to stitch a fiery 32-ball 73-run stand for the fifth wicket as the team ransacked 70 runs in the final four overs.
For South Africa debutant Dayyaan Galiem and Ottneil Baartman picked up two wickets each.
Scores in brief
2nd T20I – South Africa beat Pakistan by seven wickets at SuperSport Park, Centurion
Pakistan 206-5, 20 overs (Saim Ayub 98 not out, Babar Azam 31, Muhammad Irfan Khan 30; Dayyaan Galiem 2-21, Ottneil Baartman 2-51)
South Africa 210-3, 19.3 overs (Reeza Hendricks 117, Rassie van der Dussen 66 not out; Jahandad Khan 2-40)
Player of the match – Reeza Hendricks (South Africa)
Schedule of remaining matches:
14 Dec – 3rd T20I vs South Africa at The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (9pm PKT)
