South Africa 352 for 5 (Klaasen 87, Breetzke 83, Bavuma 82, Afridi 2-66) vs Pakistan
Their batters did their bit to give South Africa the best chance of progressing after an innings that ebbed and flowed, and at stages, boiled over as Pakistan’s attack, without the injured Haris Rauf, struggled for control on a flat pitch and fast outfield. Only Khushdil Shah conceded at less than a run a ball, while Rauf’s replacement, Mohammad Hasnain, bowled eight overs for 72.
South Africa were off to a fairly watchful start against Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, but picked up pace once Abrar Ahmed was introduced in the second half of the powerplay. Tony De Zorzi used his feet well for the innings’ first six but not at all when he edged Afridi to slip in the next over. Bavuma then struck back-to-back boundaries against Abrar, and South Africa’s powerplay ended at 64 for 1.
Hasnain bowled too short upfront, and both Bavuma and Breetzke took a liking to the length. Breetzke was soon striking at over 100, and allowed Bavuma to dial it down slightly as the latter approached his first fifty in 17 innings. He got there with a single off Salman Agha, and then accelerated once again.
Bavuma played more riskily than we are used to, and went for an expansive drive off left-arm spinner Khushdil, but edged past Mohammad Rizwan. Later that over, Bavuma tried to slog Khushdil over square leg but top-edged. Naseem misjudged the catch and put Bavuma down on 60.
Pakistan were able to keep South Africa fairly quiet for the next eight overs, and they scored at under five an over, but grew frustrated with their inability to break through. Breetzke brought up fifty off 46 balls before Hasnain thought he had him out lbw when he missed a leg-side whip and Rizwan was convinced to review. But ball-tracking showed it going down leg.
Sensing an opportunity to create something, Rizwan brought Afridi back in the 27th over, and he tested the batters with pace and personality. There were stare downs and words. At one point, Afridi moved into Breetzke’s path as he was completing a single, and there was contact. Breetzke didn’t back down, as got into Afridi’s face and the pair had to be separated by the umpires and team-mates.
In the next over, Bavuma played Hasnain to backward point and raced away for a single before checking with Breetzke, who sent him back. But it was too late. Saud Shakeel swooped in, and with a one-handed pick up and throw, ran Bavuma out and celebrated in his face for good measure. Bavuma was stranded on 82, with a golden chance at a century gone begging. But at that stage, South Africa still had 21.5 overs remaining.
Klaasen was sent in at No. 4, and faced 14 balls for seven runs before he remembered who he was. He smoked Hasnain for four fours in his sixth over – over mid-on, mid-off, square leg and deep midwicket – to bring up 200, and got the innings going again. That over cost 16 runs, and the next four went for 36, as South Africa were back in sight of a massive score.
Both Breetzke and Klaasen were laden with intent, but when Breetzke tried to smash Khushdil through the covers, he found an equally determined Salman, who dived across and reached out with his right hand to pluck the ball close to the ground and pull off a stunner. Breetzke was out for 83.
Wiaan Mulder was caught at point in the next over, and South Africa entered the final ten overs at 242 for 4. The death overs are the period where Klaasen can be at his most dangerous, and he unleashed a 95-metre six five balls into the 41st over as a reminder. Klaasen brought up fifty off 38 balls, and then completely cut loose. His next 37 runs came off 18 deliveries, and he spared no one.
Afridi was treated particularly severely as Klaasen took him for back-to-back sixes in an over that cost 20. When he tried to take Naseem on in the same way, Klaasen sent a low full toss to long-on. South Africa scored 110 runs in the last ten overs, and Kyle Verreynne ended unbeaten on 44. South Africa’s 352 ended up as the fourth-highest score in Karachi.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s correspondent for South Africa and women’s cricket
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