Pakistan level the series 2-2 in Durban with a fantastic bowling display by Mohammed Irfan and an equally stunning batting effort by Misbah and Farhat

Toss:
South Africa won the toss and elected to bat

Teams:



Pakistan

Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan,Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal†, Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan


South Africa
GC Smith, HM Amla, CA Ingram, AB de Villiers, DA Miller, F Behardien, R McLaren, RJ Peterson, , RK Kleinveldt , LL Tsotsobe, DW Steyn

South Africa Innings


Pakistan came into the game 2-1 and needing victory to stay alive in the series. They manage just that courtesy some excellent bowling from their opening bowlers and batting contributions from Imran Farhat and Misbah.

Pakistan got off to a dream start with Irfan removing the in form Amla first ball. It was an outswinging delivery and Amla pushed at it straight to the hands of Kamran Akmal. Ingram went next ball to an unplayable yorker bowled at pace.

Pakistan turned the screws on afterwards with Junaid Khan and Irfan bowling in tandem. Smith and AB resisted and tried to build a partnersip. Smith, However, Was bowled by Junaid in the 10th over moving too far across his stumps.
Junaid clevery bowled a full toss towards leg stumps which Smith guided to his stumps.

Behardien edged one in the very same over to Kamran Akmal to an inswinging delivery. South Africa looked in deep trouble at 38/4. Pakistan looked on top till the 16th over when Imran Farhat dropped a dolly off Miller. Miller then cashed in coming together with Devilliers to resurrect South Africa's innings. They both rotated strike and milked the spinners during the middle overs with ease. Pakistan looked clueless during these middle overs unable to get any wickets.

Both men got to their 50 in quick time with Miller getting just his 3rd ODI 50. The breakthrough came just two overs before the powerplay. Ajmal was the bowler trapping Miller LBW. The decision was referred to the third umpire but the ball was hitting dead center. De villiers was the next amn to go, Edging one legside delivery to the keeper.

Ajmal got his third wicket in his next over with Mclaren lifting one to mid off. Irfan was the man at the boundary initially misjudging the catch but ended up taking it due to his height.

Kleinveldt and Peterson then started hitting some boundaries before Kleinveldt was bowled off a low full toss from Mohammad Irfan. Junaid got Steyn off his first ball but ended up conceeding 13 runs in the over to help South Africa reach a total of 234/9.

Fall of wickets 
1-0 (Amla, 0.1 ov)
2-0 (Ingram, 0.2 ov)
3-34 (Smith, 9.1 ov)
4-38 (Behardien, 9.6 ov)
5-153 (Miller, 33.3 ov)
6-170 (de Villiers, 37.3 ov)
7-177 (McLaren, 39.4 ov)
8-207 (Kleinveldt, 46.5 ov)
9-221 (Steyn, 49.1 ov)


Pakistan innings

Pakistan started off extremely poorly with Farhat assisting in Hafeez's dismissal. Hafeez clearly called no but Farhat continued to run forcing Hafeez to run as well. Hafeez looked slightly to his side and the throw from AB Devilliers to the other end hit him on the leg. It meant that South Africa would appeal for obstructuon and Hafeez would be given out.

Kamran Akmal soon followed in a typical fashion hitting a few boundaries then hitting one straight to point. Younus Khan was the next man to go being given a life earlier in the over then edging one straight to his stumps.

Imran Farhat on the other end kept eating up balls which meant that the required run rate was slowly creeping up. Good fielding and lack of intent from the Pakistani batsmen meant that the run rate kept slowing down. The partnership eventually reached 50 from 83 balls. 

Farhat was given two lives during his innings. Once he was dropped by Dale Steyn off his own bowling mis timing a pull, And secondly by AB Devilliers trying to cut the ball.

The momentum shift came in when AB decided to give Colin Ingram an over of legspin, The decision proved costly as he went for 2 sixes and 1 four in successive bowls. Misbah also reached his half century. His second in the series.

Pakistan reached the hundred run partnership in 32 overs. Misbah and Farhat were both keeping the run rate under control. Both were taking singles and getting the odd boundary. In the powerplay overs they struggled to score against Steyn but made up with Kleinveldt at the other end. 

Pakistan saw off the powerplay overs without losing a wicket but disaster struck when Misbah tried to slog sweep Peterson but ended up being caught by Behardien.

Afridi was the next man in sent ahead of Malik to try and finish the game quickly. He hit one four and then edged the next ball to the wicketkeeper.

Pressure was on Malik as the next man in. Farhat kept Pakistan in the game hitting boundaries and making sure the required run rate never got too high. Including hitting a six off of Steyn. Farhat and Malik then got within just 9 runs of victory before Farhat tried to play a cut shot but Behardien took a magnificent catch over his shoulder to get rid of him.

Wahab came him and was run out promptly leaving Pakistan in disarray at 227/6 still needing 8 runs for victory. Ajmal came in and struck the first ball for four. With four needed Ajmal dropped one and ran. Had it been a direct hit he would have been run out.

Malik hit the next ball for four giving Pakistan victory and leveling the series.

Fall of wickets 
1-2 (Mohammad Hafeez, 1.3 ov)
2-18 (Kamran Akmal, 5.2 ov)
3-33 (Younis Khan, 10.6 ov)
4-186 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 41.1 ov)
5-191 (Shahid Afridi, 41.5 ov)
6-226 (Imran Farhat, 47.4 ov)
7-227 (Wahab Riaz, 48.1 ov)

Pakistan bowling started off brilliantly, But fell away in the middle overs allowing Devilliers and Miller to form a partnership. The partnership eventually helped them go to a respectable score of 223/9.

Pakistan started off poorly but the partnership between Farhat and Misbah kept Pakistan in the game. Both ensured Pakistan never got behind. Late wickets gave South Africa some hope but Pakistan managed to get over the line with an over and two balls to spare.

Pakistan now play the final match with a chance for their maiden series win in ODI's against South Africa.