South Africa won a rain interrupted first Twenty20 against Pakistan by four runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method at the Wanderers Stadium on Wednesday.
The visitors were chasing South Africa’s competitive total of 153-7 after their 20 overs, when heavy rain in Johannesburg halted Pakistan’s reply just short of halfway.
The two teams resumed hostilities less than a week after South Africa won both Twenty20 matches in the United Arab Emirates.
Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla gave South Africa a flying start, putting on 72 for the first wicket before Amla was bowled by Pakistan captain and off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez for 31 off 20 balls.
De Kock made 43 off 33 deliveries before he was well caught at long-on by Sohail Tanvir off Hafeez.
A third wicket fell to slow bowling in the space of 15 runs when Shahid Afridi bowled Henry Davids for three.
Hafeez and Afridi took three wickets between them for 39 in their combined eight overs as the South African innings lost momentum with JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis putting together a stand of 23.
Duminy’s mis-hit pull was brilliantly caught by the diving Hafeez at mid-wicket, before Du Plessis heaved Junaid Khan for four but chipped the next ball straight to mid-off.
Debutant Bilawal Bhatti’s difficult final over continued with a chest-high full toss to Wayne Parnell, who was run out next ball for six and a third excellent catch – this time from Abdur Rehman accounted for Dale Steyn but Morne Morkel hit back-to-back boundaries in the final over.
Heavy rain
Ahmed Shehzad fell for nine early in Pakistan’s reply, gloving a Lonwabo Tsotsobe delivery on to the stumps, but two boundaries from Nasir Jamshed in the sixth over got the tourists back on the right track at 40-1 following the power-play.
He then gave a return catch to Duminy, though, and Pakistan were 60-2 when heavy rain and nearby lightning stopped play with 9.1 overs bowled.
That left Pakistan four runs behind the Duckworth-Lewis par score, and with only a 10-minute window before a reduction in overs would be required.
With the rain still falling heavily and the outfield drenched, the two captains shook hands on the result well before the 10pm cut-off point.
The next game takes place in Cape Town on Friday, with three 50-over games to follow.
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