Shoaib rips SA apart

Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald put on 53 for the last wicket to enable the home side to reach 231 all out.

By close of play, Pakistan had scored 11 for no wicket to stretch their lead to 39.

For South Africa, debutant H D Ackerman made an impressive 57 and all-rounder Pollock, playing on his home ground, hit a fluent 70 not out.After losing Adam Bacher early in the day, South Africa appeared to have built a solid foundation when Jacques Kallis and Ackerman put on 83 in 165 minutes for the third wicket.

Shoaib, who did not bowl before lunch, produced a lighting fast delivery to rip past a defensive shot by Kallis, who scored 43.

With his next ball he trapped Andrew Hudsonlbw for a duck.

Later Shoaib had a spell of three for 17 from 20 balls when he bowled Mark Boucher, Lance Klusener and Fanie de Villiers, beating them all for pace.It was a remarkable performance for the bowler from Rawalpindi, playing in his third Test.

Only two weeks ago he had been diagnosed as having a serious knee ligament injury and was expected to return home.

He was hit on the left hand by a ball from Klusener yesterday and needed extended treatment.

Pakistan bowled and fielded with great discipline and South Africa found it difficult to score runs until Pollock played some attacking shots in partnership with Donald.

Leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, who in tandem with Azhar Mahmood, restricted Kallis and Ackerman to 10 runs in 15 overs in the hour before lunch, took three for 71, including the key wickets of Ackerman and South African captain Hansie Cronje.

Ackerman, 25, provided much needed stability in the South African top order and batted with composure in scoring his 57 in 228 minutes off155 balls with six fours.

He fell to a sharp catch at silly mid-off by Mohammad Wasim off Mushtaq.Pollock, who reached his fifty off 74 deliveries, made his 70 in 163 minutes off 106 balls with five fours and two sixes. It was his third Test half-century.

SCOREBOARD

Pakistan (1st innings): 259

South Africa (1st innings): A Bacher c Moin b Fazl-e-Akbar 17, G Kirsten c Azhar b Fazl-e-Akbar 0, J Kallis b Shoaib 43, H D Ackerman c Wasim b Mushtaq 57, A Hudson lbw Shoaib 0, H Cronje lbw Mushtaq 3, S Pollock not out 70, M Boucher b Shoaib 2, L Klusener b Shoaib 6, F de Villiers b Shoaib 7, A Donald lbw Mushtaq 11.

Extras (nb-6, b-4, lb-2, w-3): 15.

Total (90 overs): 231.

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-32, 3-115, 4-115, 5-120, 6-139, 7-154, 8-166, 9-178.

Bowling: Waqar 19-3-63-0, Fazl-e-Akbar 8-2-16-2, Shoaib 12-1-43-5, Mushtaq 32-9-71-3, Azhar 17-6-28-0, Sohail 2-0-4-0.

Pakistan (2nd innings): Saeed Anwar batting 8, Aamir Sohail batting2.

Extras (w-1) 1.

Total (for no wkts) 11.

Bowling: De Villiers 1-0-8-0, Donald 1-0-3-0.