By AFP
South Africa seal 10-wicket win in the second Test to win the cricket series 2-0 despite Pakistan’s late fightback in Cape Town.
David Bedingham hit 44 not out off 30 balls as South Africa sealed victory in just 7.1 overs on the fourth day of the match.
Bedingham was opening in place of Ryan Rickelton, who suffered a hamstring strain in the field after scoring 259 in South Africa’s first innings of 615.
Captain Shan Masood led Pakistan’s fightback, scoring 145.
Following the result, Masood said he believes there are better days ahead for Pakistan as they held their own for long periods in challenging conditions.
“There were lots of good things [in the series],” Masood said. “Knowing we did really well [in Pretoria] but didn’t close it out. Even here, we didn’t start off well with ball and bat.
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“We conceded too many runs initially, then we folded with the bat [in their first innings] on a really nice surface. But then the fightback, we made our highest score against South Africa in Test cricket. Individually, people stepped up.”
Masood fell to the second new ball, trapped leg before wicket by 18-year-old debutant Kwena Maphaka.
His dismissal came three balls after Kagiso Rabada had Saud Shakeel caught at second slip for 23, ending a 51-run fourth-wicket stand.
Pakistan, a batter short after Saim Ayub suffered a broken ankle while fielding on the first morning, were still 92 runs in arrears after the double blow.
But Mohammad Rizwan (41) and Salman Agha (48) put on 88 for the sixth wicket and Aamer Jamal hit a quick 34 before the innings was ended.
South Africa’s bowlers received virtually no assistance from a placid pitch.
Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, who had been expected to be a major factor on a fourth-day pitch, achieved minimal spin and toiled for 45 overs to take three for 137.
Pakistan’s Shan Masood plays a shot during the fourth day of the second international Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan at Newlands stadium in Cape Town on January 6, 2025. (Photo by Rodger Bosch / AFP)
Pakistan’s captain Shan Masood top scored for his team in the second Test at Newlands stadium in Cape Town, South Africa [Rodger Bosch/AFP]
Masood will rue the fact his side allowed South Africa to score a massive 615 in their first innings, which meant the tourists were always chasing the game.
Not that it is anything new, Pakistan have played well in patches recently but also underperformed under pressure. Masood hopes they can be more consistent in their upcoming two-Test home series against West Indies that starts on January 17.
“We need to learn how to win the crucial moments,” Masood said. “We bounced back well against England [to win the series 2-1 in October]. With our backs against the wall, we did well.
“But we need to learn how to land the first punch. We have a lot of young cricketers who will learn, and luckily we go straight into another series with West Indies.”
Meanwhile, South Africa will go into the Test championship final against Australia at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London in June on the back of seven straight wins – the second most successful sequence in their history.
