Pakistan set South Africa tough 309 to win at Lord’s
LONDON (AP) — Pakistan put up 308-7 against South Africa after an 89 by the recalled Haris Sohail in a late flurry at Lord’s in their Cricket World Cup match on Sunday.
Haris, brought back for the dropped Shoaib Malik, featured in key partnerships of 81 with Babar Azam and 71 with Imad Wasim.
He was out trying to slog the penultimate ball, his 59th of a superb innings that included three sixes and nine boundaries.
Pakistan started the 40th over on 217-3 and Haris ensured a challenging total was set. He left to a standing ovation from Pakistan fans starved of high scores.
The scale of South Africa’s challenge could be taken from its first two matches, when failed to overcome 311 by England and 330 by Bangladesh.
Pakistan needs the win more at Lord’s. South Africa is all but out. It could win all three of its remaining games but still needs a lot of help to make the semifinals. Pakistan has a game in hand and needs less help.
Wanting to bat first under a thin layer of cloud, openers Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq raced out of the blocks to share 81 in 15 overs to the utter delight of a packed crowd dominated by Pakistan fans.
Fakhar and Iman, ruthless toward pacemen Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, were each undone on 44 by spinner Imran Tahir, making him South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in World Cups with 39, one more than retired fast bowler Allan Donald.
Tahir achieved the record in style, brilliantly catching Imam one-handed low to his right off his own bowling. In taking 2-41 from 10 overs, Tahir’s performance will have also heartened Pakistan’s spinners.
Babar and Mohammad Hafeez, dropped on 2 en route to 20, made Pakistan’s fans bubble back up again, but it was the stand between Babar and Haris which lifted their side from scratching around 5 an over.
Babar was out for 69 but Haris continued to flay every bowler.
Ngidi finished with three wickets, all at the death, but he and the wicketless Rabada were too often loose, and thrashed by Pakistan. They were saved by Tahir, part-timer Aiden Markram, and Andile Phehlukwayo.
