Cape Town – A half-century from Hashim Amla and a sterling overall performance by Robin Peterson secured a four-wicket victory for South Africa in the second Test against Pakistan at Newlands, in Cape Town, on Sunday.
Winning the match with a day to spare, to secure the three-match series, Dean Elgar hit the winning runs and was unbeaten on 11 with Robin Peterson on one.
South Africa secured their sixth Test series win in a row. It was also captain Graeme Smith’s longest winning streak with five consecutive victories.
Amla reached his 26th half-century off 87 deliveries and shared a 62-run partnership with AB de Villiers. Trying to repeat his aggressive shot from the previous ball, Amla missed an attempted sweep and was bowled by spin wizard Saeed Ajmal for 58.
De Villiers faced 45 deliveries for his 36 runs and, after playing well, went after a wider delivery, giving an outside edge to the keeper.
Smith and Amla had shared a 53-run second-wicket stand, off 72
balls, and were just starting to motor when the skipper, attempting the sweep, was trapped by Ajmal for 29.
After a poor third umpire’s decision saw him go out cheaply in the first innings, Jacques Kallis (21) was quick to review his wicket but technology was unable to save him as the pitch map showed the Ajmal delivery was crashing into middle and leg stump.
Ajmal took four for 51 and returned match figures of 10 for 147.
Peterson’s defiant 84 in the first innings and five wickets in the Test earned him the Man of the Match accolade.
Resuming the day at 100 for four, it was not long before Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Huq (44) edged Peterson to Smith at short-fine leg.
Asad Shafiq (19) was unlucky when he played a defensive shot to Vernon Philander which rebounded backwards onto his stumps.
The Proteas then took three wickets with consecutive balls as Pakistan began to crumble.
Sarfraz Ahmed (five) could only look on in disbelief after he had left alone a delivery from Peterson. He turned around and saw the ball, which pitched outside leg, turn and hit his stumps.
Overnight stalwart Azhar Ali went out with the next ball, edging Philander to a diving De Villiers, behind the stumps, for a well-played 65.
Then, Petersen, fielding in the slips, reacted quickly to take a brilliant two-handed catch to his right to dismiss Umar Gul, who had faced just the one ball.
With Philander on a hat-trick, Ajmal played sensibly to block the next delivery.
Needing two more wickets after lunch, Peterson bowled Ajmal (four) around his legs and Dale Steyn finished off the job by removing Irfan (two), who was also caught by Petersen running back from third slip.
Philander bagged four for 40 while Peterson and Steyn finished with three scalps each. – Sapa