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Pakistan vs South Africa - 1st ODI, Lahore : South Africa won by 45 runs and lead the 5 match series 1-0 with 4 more to go.

Commentator/cricketer - Ian Chappell once said - "Good you can hit 5 brilliant fours off one over. but I wouldn't make you my opening batsman, if you don't know how to make centuries". What Chappelly meant, was that a top order batsman must know the art of negotiating good deliveries from new ball & fresh bowlers - to make platform and allow lower order batting a risk free scoring!

Pakistan dearly missed this trick, and lower order ran out of luck. Pakistan can't expect Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal or Sohail Tanvir to win them matches. although these three brought Pakistan back into the game while chasing respectable South African score of 294. From 3 for 37 to 5 for 96 & then experienced Mohammad Yousuf departing at 152 - Pakistan had required run rate around 10 in last 15 overs. Kamran Akmal did well for his 35 off 55, whereas fireworks came from Afridi (who seemed determined to win a game after a while) and Sohail Tanvir.. the left hander sure have some ability to hit sixes!

Just 6 extras from South Africa complied with ever so tight fielding - Pakistan, as the article title suggests, were denied any miracle.

The Score card
Gibbs 102(128), Smith 34, Kallis 4,
AB de Villiers 103 (95), Kemp 1,
Boucher 14. extras 27with 8 wides,
South Africa : 294 for 5 in 50 overs.
Pakistan : 249 allout in 46.3 overs,
Hafeez 6, Nazir 16, Younis 12,
Mallik 18, Yousuf 53, Misbah 20,
Kamran 35, Afridi 47(26, 2x6, 5x4),
Tanvir 26(17, 2x6), extras 6 only.

MOM - Abraham de Villiers.

-Debut match for Sohail Tanvir. having watched him in twenty20 world cup, I nearly forgot he was playing first 50 over for Pakistan.

-This was 48th ODI between Pakistan and South Africa. Proteas have won 33 of them, where Pakistan managed only 13. with one no result.

South Africa in Pakistan, a history untold

South Africa tour of Pakistan, 2007 - info article

Kallis twin tons seal 1st test for Proteas

South Africa deny Pakistan a Lahore miracle

Pakistan (at last) win one over Proteas