Pakistan Tuesday night defeated South Africa by three wickets in the first ODI of the three-match series.
As per the details, the first ODI was played at Boland Park where South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first, setting a target of 240 runs for Pakistan.
South Africa managed to post a total of 239/9 in their 50 overs. The innings started strong with Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickelton putting together a 70-run opening partnership. However, the dismissal of de Zorzi triggered a collapse, and South Africa found themselves at 88/4. Captain Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen steadied the innings with a crucial 73-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Klaasen played a vital role, scoring 86 off 97 balls. The tail-enders chipped in with some valuable runs, but the final total was still below par.
Salman Agha was the standout bowler for Pakistan, taking 4 wickets for just 24 runs, putting the South African batting lineup under pressure. Abrar Ahmed also made significant contributions, picking up 2 wickets for 32 runs. Their efforts were crucial in restricting South Africa to a manageable total.
In response, Pakistan chased down the target, finishing at 242/7 in 49.3 overs. The chase was led by Saim Ayub, who played a brilliant knock of 109 runs off 119 balls, including 10 fours and 3 sixes. Salman Agha also played a crucial role with the bat, scoring 82 runs off 90 balls.