Ken Borland

Kyle Verreynne and Andile Phehlukwayo scored valiant half-centuries in a record sixth-wicket stand, but once that partnership was over, the Proteas bowed to the inevitable and lost the series-deciding third ODI against Pakistan by 28 runs at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday.

Chasing a testing 321 for victory, South Africa started brightly with openers Janneman Malan and Aiden Markram putting on 54 in nine overs. But although Markram (18) and Jon-Jon Smuts (17) looked good, the slow pitch and the Pakistan spinners began to take effect, with the required run-rate quickly climbing to above seven to the over.

Captain Temba Bavuma added a run-a-ball 50 with Malan to regain some momentum, but the 24^th over, bowled by left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz, was pivotal. A magnificent delivery that drifted in, gripped and turned, trapped Malan lbw for an impressive 70 off 81 deliveries. Given that he has now scored 222 runs in four innings, it may be difficult to overlook Malan in future.

Three balls later, Bavuma over-ran a quicker delivery and was bowled for 20. Heinrich Klaasen (4) quickly fell to Nawaz (7-0-34-3) as well, and at 140 for five in the 28^th over, South Africa’s hopes of winning seemed over.

But Verreynne, playing in just his fourth ODI, looked an accomplished veteran with a composed 62 off 53 balls, Phehlukwayo showing his experience and a welcome return to best form with the bat as he made 54 off 61 deliveries. Together they added 108 for the sixth wicket in 16 overs, a record for SuperSport Park.

It was asking too much for them to win the match though as both eventually fell to attempted big hits.

In the final analysis, South Africa’s last two overs going for 43 runs provided much food for thought.

After opener Fakhar Zaman had feasted again with a superbly controlled 101 off 104 balls, putting on 112 for the first wicket with Imam-ul-Haq (57), South Africa, led by Keshav Maharaj’s outstanding three for 45, fought back as they reduced Pakistan from 206 for one after 35 overs to 277 for six after 48 overs.

The back-up spinners had also contributed well, off-spinner Markram bowling his full 10 overs for the first time in an ODI and taking two for 48, while left-armer Smuts had gone for a run-a-ball through seven overs. His eighth over, though, the penultimate one of the innings, went for 25 as Hasan Ali (32* off 11) blazed four sixes.

Phehlukwayo bowled the last over and conceded 18 as Babar Azam made merry to finish with a classy, composed 94 off 82 balls.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith described his team as not being mentally tough enough ahead of the series-deciding third test against Sri Lanka starting at Newlands on Tuesday.
South Africa won the first test at Centurion by an innings, but then suffered an ignominious 208-run defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka in last week’s test in Durban.
“I can’t fault the training nor the effort, they’ve been outstanding. But mentally we need to be a bit stronger, that’s the only thing I can put my finger on. We just didn’t adapt well to conditions in Durban and recently, we haven’t played our best cricket in those conditions. But when we’ve toured the sub-continent, we’ve adapted well, so maybe it is more of a mindset thing.
“It’s easier for us when the ball does go through and there’s good carry, but when it doesn’t, we need to adapt, we need to shift mentally,” Smith told a news conference at Newlands on Monday.
Sri Lanka, having failed to win their eight previous tests in South Africa before coming to Durban, were seen as rank underdogs but can now win the series if they beat the hosts in Cape Town.

    “We have had a very hard time here and before the series, everyone was saying that we are underdogs and can’t beat South Africa. But if we play our brand of cricket and stick to the basics, then we believe that we can perform in any conditions,” Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan said.

    South Africa have made two changes to their starting XI for the third test, with 34-year-old left-handed batsman Ashwell Prince being dropped after he scored just 11, being caught reverse-sweeping, and seven, during which he was complicit in the running out of Hashim Amla for 51, in Durban.

    Alviro Petersen replaces Prince and will open the batting with Smith, with Jacques Rudolph dropping down to number six.

    Seamer Vernon Philander, who has taken 24 wickets in his first three tests, will return to the side after he suffered a minor knee injury in Durban. Marchant de Lange is the unfortunate bowler to stand down after he took seven wickets in the first innings of the second test.

    Sri Lanka are waiting on the fitness of wicketkeeper/batsman Dinesh Chandimal, who entered test cricket with a bang at Kingsmead, scoring half-centuries in each innings, but was struck a nasty blow on the elbow while batting in the nets on Sunday.

    “Chandimal’s elbow is getting better, but it’s a bruise in a nasty place. It would be a loss for us if he can’t play, because he did a great job for us in the last test,” Dilshan said.

    The fitness of Dilhara Fernando is also in doubt, with Dilshan saying the veteran pace bowler was suffering from knee pain. The 28-year-old seamer Dhammika Prasad is in line to take his place.

    For South Africa, the pressure is on for them to put another infuriatingly inconsistent year behind them and start 2012 with a win.

    “All these ups and downs – it’s been the story of my career! I’ve played under that pressure since I was 22 and I was probably stupid enough to take the captaincy at that age! But it’s about bouncing back and getting things right over the next five days,” Smith said.

    South Africa team – Graeme Smith, Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Jacques Rudolph, Mark Boucher, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir.

    Probable Sri Lanka team – Tharanga Paranavitana, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhammika Prasad, Thisara Perera, Rangana Herath, Chanaka Welegedara.