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South Africa win by 1 wicket!
Mohammad Nawaz is given the responsibility of bowling the 48th over. Here we go. A single is clipped off the first ball into the leg side by Shamsi. Four needed and Maharaj on strike. THERE IT IS! South Africa clinch it at the last – a poor ball from Nawaz is steered away by Maharaj for four – the Proteas pip Pakistan at the last.
Close enough for you?
Key events
47th over: South Africa 266-9 (Maharaj 4, Shamsi 3) Shamsi uses the face of the bat to run the ball fine and take a single. Risky shot but it pays off. Wasim finishes with two dots to complete his spell. He finishes with 2-50 off his ten.
5 needed for South Africa, 1 wicket for Pakistan.
Mohammed Wasim to bowl his last over. He’s been magnificent today. Gah! He starts with a wide down the leg side. A dot and a single mean South Africa are within one lofty blow of victory.
NOT OUT on Umpires Call! It was clipping the stumps so stays with the on field umpire. That was too close, Pakistan cannot believe it – Rauf falls to his knees when the DRS gives its verdict. 8 runs plays 1 wicket – on we go.
46th over: South Africa 263-9 (Maharaj 4, Shamsi 2)
A yorker is dug out and then Rauf goes up for a HUGE appeal for LBW. Umpire says NOT OUT! It is going upstairs! Am I using too many exclamation marks?!!
Rauf loses his radar and gives away a wide down the leg side! 8 runs needed.
In comes Tabraiz Shamsi, South Africa’s final wicket. Close! Another leading edge is spawned in the air but in the gap – a crucial two runs taken. 9 runs needed…
I’m going to go ball by ball for this – Trade Descriptions be damned!
WICKET! Ngidi c & b Haris Rauf 4 (Pakistan need 1 wicket/South Africa 11 runs!)
OH. MY. FLIP.
Ngidi gets a leading edge and Rauf somehow clings on to the return catch by his shins!
45th over: South Africa 260-8 (Maharaj 4, Ngidi 2) Mohammed Wasim is cramping up badly and Babar isn’t sure he should bowl but the bowler more or less grabs the orb and trudges off to his mark. Maharaj and Ngidi are doing well here, sucking the pressure out of the situation and scampering singles. Gah! Wasim sends down a wide to gift an extra run – Pakistan have been guilty of 19 extras today – my how they would like them back now with their World Cup hopes on the line.
Four off the over, South Africa need 11 more off 30 balls. Pakistan still need to winkle 2 wickets.
“Hello James, is this another We’ll get them in singles game?”
Could well be Matt Doherty, not that South Africa will give a flying fig how they get them now.
44th over: South Africa 256-8 (Maharaj 4, Ngidi 1) No dice for Pakistan. A bit too short from Shaheen and a wide down the leg side gifts another to South Africa. Close! An edge flies safe to short third and Shaheen beats the edge of Maharaj with the final ball of his spell. Well bowled that man, Shaheen came roaring back in his final spell there to get Pakistan back into this game. Just two off the over, but no more wickets – the game hangs by a gossamer thread.
15 runs plays 2 wickets…
Such an engrossing, close contest. something th WC had missed so far!
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) October 27, 2023
43rd over: South Africa 254-8 (Maharaj 3, Ngidi 1) Three singles eked off Mir and crucially no wickets. The spinner is still giving it some flight, my heart goes into my mouth every time he tosses it up there. Two dots to finish. Right, Shaheen is coming on for his final over… this could be Pakistan’s big chance to finish it off.
42nd over: South Africa 251-8 (Maharaj 0, Ngidi 1) Can everybody calm down? There’s very nearly a run out as Ngidi and Maharaj attempt a dicey second run off Shaheen – the throw from the fielder was to the wrong end! Shaheen dots up the end of the over and he has just one left now. Golden arm Usama Mir is going to bowl the next one, he’s snared two crucial wickets and a catch from the subs bench already.
20 runs plays 2 wickets. How are your nerves?
WICKET! Coetzee c Mohammad Rizwan b Shaheen (South Africa 250-8 and in all sorts)
Shaheen strikes! He nicks off Coetzee first ball, Rizwan swallowing the feather behind the stumps. Two wickets needed for Pakistan, South Africa a suddenly gargantuan 21 runs. My days.
Bring me my Rump Trumpet! We wanted a bum squeaker and we’ve got one people – this is not a drill.
WICKET! Markram c Babar Azam b Usama Mir 91 (South Africa 250-7)
Markram goes! Usama Mir strikes with the second ball of his over, he goes for the big heave but spoons in the air to be well caught by Babar. Maharaj is the new batter and he pats back four dots – wicket maiden for Mir!
41st over: South Africa 250-7 (Coetzee 10, Maharaj 0)
South Africa need 21 runs, Pakistan need three (tail-end, there I said it) wickets.
40th over: South Africa 249-6 (Markram 91, Coetzee 9) Shaheen into his eight over – he hasn’t quite been on the money today when his side really needed him to step up, or rather his batters did after their faltering efforts. Six off the over with a watchful Proteas eye – 22 needed for South Africa, 4 wickets for Pakistan.
39th over: South Africa 243-6 (Markram 88, Coetzee 6) Decent over for South Africa as they get closer to chasing down this tricksy target. Six runs scampered off Rauf. Apologies for the slow updates as my internet buffers in the wilds at an extremely inopportune time!
38th over: South Africa 237-6 (Markram 87, Coetzee 1) Tip of the cap to Mohammad Wasim who has bowled with real heart and skill for his 2-45 off eight overs. Coetzee gets off the mark with a nudge to third and Pakistan manage to keep Markram quiet.
Jansen c Babar Azam b Haris Rauf 20 (South Africa 235-6)
Jansen cloths a Haris Rauf slower ball to Babar at backward point! His cameo comes to an end and there is still work to do. 36 runs plays four wickets – Gerald Coetzee joins Markram at the crease. If they snare Markram now then… BIG IF.
37th over: South Africa 235-6 (Markram 85, Coetzee 0)
Marco Jansen glides in the gap at third to pick up a deft four and then launches Haris Rauf down the ground for SIX! Just 36 needed to win for South Africa… BUT what’s this…?
36th over: South Africa 224-5 (Markram 85, Jansen 10) South Africa take back control of the chase. Wasim beats Markram on the outside edge and convinces Babar to send it upstairs but there’s a clear gap between bat and ball so it is a burned review. Four! Markram responds by bunting Wasim back over his head for four and digging out a well directed yorker for a single. That’s the Marco Jansen that duffed up England! The lissom limbed all-rounder swings clean and true for four down the ground.
Just 47 needed for the Proteas.
35th over: South Africa 214-5 (Markram 80, Jansen 5) Close! Super Sub Usama Mir comes back into the attack and nearly gets the breakthrough, Jansen hauling his long frame to the turf to play an ungainly reverse-sweep that creeps over the fielder at backward point.
WICKET! Miller c Mohammad Rizwan b Shaheen Shah (Pakistan 206-5)
HERE. WE. GO. A tiny nick is swallowed by Rizwan behind the stumps! Pakistan dearly needed that. In comes Marco Jansen, if they get him quickly (remember he smoked 75 against England) then it is into the tail we go.
Close! Jansen hangs his bat out like a curtain pole to his first ball. Lucky lad. Next up Shaheen spears one into Jansen’s armpit. Good drama in Chennai. The tall one clings on but it has got a bit squeaky out there. All eyes on Aidan Markram.
34th over: South Africa 208-5 (Markram 78, Jansen 1)
33rd over: South Africa 206-4 (Markram 77, Miller 29) The partnership between Miller and Markram stretches past 70. Will it be the decisive one in the game? Markram looks imperious as he stands tall and crunches Rauf off the back foot for four. Just 65 runs needed for South Africa.
32nd over: South Africa 199-4 (Markram 71, Miller 29) Markram steers Shaheen down to third on the bouce to pick up a single. Miller picks up a single off the next ball and the bowler hits the deck, what’s happened here then? Shaheen is lying prone on the turf… I think it could be cramp. After a sizeable delay the big left-armer is up on his feet and ready to continue. Markram picks three more runs off the over, the partnership grows and the target looms ever closer, Pakistan have to break up this pair to give themselves a sniff. 72 more runs needed or a matter of six wickets.
31st over: South Africa 194-4 (Markram 67, Miller 28) Haris Rauf back into the attack too – he’s got five overs up his sleeve. Eeeesht! A slower ball completely flummoxes Markram who gets a leading edge that just plops short. Rauf has his head in his mitts, this partnership is proving decisive.
30th over: South Africa 191-4 (Markram 64, Miller 26) Here is the lesser spotted Shaheen, he’s got six overs left in the tank and his side need him to prise open the Proteas door. He looks threatening from the off, South Africa are watchful, just two singles and a leg-bye off the over.
Elsewhere: this gives me heavy boots, man.
I regret to inform you that even if England lose to India on Sunday, they still won’t officially be knocked out of the World Cup, quite.https://t.co/dQq8yozCST
— Ben Gardner (@Ben_Wisden) October 27, 2023
29th over: South Africa 188-4 (Markram 64, Miller 26) South Africa collect eight off the over and head for a drink feeling confident – they need just 83 more from 21 overs. It is all about wickets, where is Shaheen?
Iftikhar is back into the attack after his brief stint at the start of the innings – ouch – Markram lifts him nonchalantly back over his head for a maximum. Hmmmm.
28th over: South Africa 180-4 (Markram 57, Miller 25) Wasim continues but it could be one over too many for him, in truth he has ZERO luck as eight runs are edged off him through the slip region by the fortunate Miller. Cruel blows for Pakistan, this game is slipping out of view.
27th over: South Africa 168-4 (Markram 56, Miller 16) Miller goes big! Mir just misses his length and the batter gives him the full works. Yeh, that’s a biggun.
26th over: South Africa 161-4 (Markram 56, Miller 10) David Miller is starting to get his gimlet eye in which could spell trouble for Pakistan. A couple of decent saves in the outfield keep him from bunting two boundaries. A well played ramp brings him a single and Markram on strike – he slams the final ball away for four.
Ominous, ominous, lemon, ominous.
25th over: South Africa 154-4 (Markram 52, Miller 7) Shaheen is back on the field, surely his team need him for a burst soon to keep this game alive? Imagine what a couple of toe-breaking-stump-shattering-yorkers could do for this contest. Aidan Markram goes to a half century with a powerful slash through backward point for four.
24th over: South Africa 146-4 (Markram 46, Miller 6) Well bowled Mohammed Wasim, he’s whanging them down at a decent lick and manages to stitch together a maiden, just a solitary leg bye off it. Don’t go anywhere. (Please)
Not defending 282 against Afghanistan and then defending 270 against South Africa would be the most Pakistan this Pakistan team has ever Pakistaned #PAKvsSA
— Aatif Nawaz (@AatifNawaz) October 27, 2023
23rd over: South Africa 145-4 (Markram 46, Miller 6) Usama Mir can’t stay out of the action, he gets big turn off the surface and is no doubt buoyed by his remarkable past twenty minutes since coming on as a concussion sub. Close! Markram slices in the air and the ball just ploops over the infield and lands safe. Signs of panic? A single brings Miller on strike… and he pumps a SIX over long on – a sublime strike!
WICKET! Klaasen c Usama Mir b Mohammad Wasim (South Africa 136-4)
Big moment, BIG wicket! Ungainly hack by Klaasen who flaps at a quick ball by Wasim, the subsequent top edge is well caught on the boundary by the super sub Usama Mir!
David Miller strides out to the middle, it’s a wobble, a wobble I tell you.
22nd over: South Africa 136-3 (Markram 43, Miller 0)
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