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3rd Test: Australia wins Sydney Test (scorecard), South Africa won Test Series 2-1.. T20 & ODI series follows.
Current Cricket Series : South Africa vs Australia, West Indies vs New Zealand. Coming Up : India in NZ 2009.

Filed under Pak vs WI

48 for 1, and then 50 for 2 - Imran Farhat and Mohammad Hafeez showed good skills to start Pakistan vs South Africa Castle test series 2007 but then allowed Ntini to strike back..

Then another partnership of 133 between Yasir Hameed and Younis Khan - Pakistan 180 for 2 in 60 overs at Lunch and looking good for plenty more. The pitch wasn't offering too much to Sout African bowlers and they looked tired as Younis and Yasir started to hit boundaries..

On a flat Centurian deck, the need of the hour was to bowl maiden and work hard. South African bowlers were in same sitoation a week before India and thus - lacked the fire-power. And taking nothing away from Pakistan top order - the match looked swinging towards Pakistan before Andre Nel got Younis Khan hooking and Hameed doing the same to Shaun Pollock.

Pakistan reduced to 193 for 4 and then Faisal Iqbal couldn't handle the pressure South African started to put on him. He gave a simple catch to a short-of-legth ball from Kallis and Pakistan 204 for 5.

I have to add here that Inzamam looked OK at the other end and he was getting good support from keeper Kamran Akmal on 18. Pakistan took the light offer in the 84th over of the day and thus - finished with 242 for 5 : a promising but tricky Day 1 score, specially when you have elected to bat first.

Day 2 Plans : Make runs. As many as you can. Making runs in first innings is always the easiest and a score of 400 will always haunt South Africa. And then - use the new ball to it's maximum.

The scorecard :

Pakistan vs South Africa 1st test Day 1 score card
Pakistan 243 for 5 in 84 overs.
Imaran Farhat 26, 58B, 4*4	Mkhaya Ntini : 18-2-52-2
Mohammad Hafeez 19, 80B, 3*3	Andre Nel : 20-3-66-1
Yasir Hameed 65, 135B, 8*4, 1*6	Shaun Pollock : 18-5-38-1
Younis Khan 68, 110B, 10*4	Jacques Kallis : 15-3-55-1
Faisal Iqbal 1, 26 balls	Paul Harris : 13-2-25-0
NO: Inzamam 35 & Akmal 18	Extras 10 : 6lb, 1w, 3nb.

Note : South African wicket keeper - Mark Boucher took the catch of Mohammad Hafeez to equal the record of most catches in test match cricket by any keeper. This was his 366th catch.

But when Faisal Iqbal gave a simple catch later in the day - Mark Boucher broke Australias Ian Healy's record and now is most successfull test match wicket keeper.

West Indies tour of Pakistan 2006 - the schedule.

Pak vs WI series live on Tensports.

The record holders in Pak vs WI test matches.

Pak vs WI "Bank Alfalah" series

West Indies lose 1st test at Lahore.

Pak vs WI 2nd test 2006 - Multan.

Most runs in a year : Md. Yousuf at 2nd position

Inzamam (again) stands for Pakistan : 2nd ODI, Faisalabad

Pakistani top order start well : SA v Pak 1st test Day 1 review.

Farhat leads Pakistan reply : 1st Castle test, Centurion. Day 3.