Smith and Pollock help South Africa level series

Brilliant half-centuries from Graeme Smith and Shaun Pollock helped South Africa win the fourth one-day international against Pakistan by seven wickets...

Brilliant half-centuries from Graeme Smith and Shaun Pollock helped South Africa win the fourth one-day international against Pakistan by seven wickets today to level the five-match series 2-2 here.

Pakistan8217;s total of 230-9, built around a fighting 110-ball 82 from Younis Khan, had looked respectable, but Smith 81 and Pollock 90 added 159 runs for the second wicket to help their team reach 233-3 in 37.4 overs. It was Smith and Herschelle Gibbs 39 who put on a brisk 65 for the first wicket to provide the perfect platform for the chase, which left a packed crowd at Multan Stadium disappointed.

When Gibbs was trapped leg-before by leg-spinner Shahid Afridi in the 11th over, Pollock was sent as pinch-hitter to counter Pakistan8217;s potent spin bowling. He and Smith, dropped on 74 by Umar Gul off his own bowling, took the game away from Pakistan before Pollock fell with just seven needed to win and Smith when just three were needed. The 34-year-old all-rounder Pollock hit nine boundaries and a six during his 84-ball knock, while Smith hit seven boundaries during his 103-ball stay.

Earlier, Younis held the Pakistan innings together with captain Shoaib Malik 45 adding an invaluable 91 runs for the fourth wicket after Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat. Pakistan lost Shahid Afridi 0, Yasir Hameed 10 and Mohammad Yousuf 5 by the 12th over in a shaky start.

Scoreboard

Pakistan: Yasir Hameed c Gibbs b Pollock 10, Shahid Afridi c Nel b Ntini 0, Younis Khan c Gibbs b Nel 82, Mohammad Yousuf run out 5, Shoaib Malik c Smith b Kallis 45, Misbah-ul Haq c Boucher b Nel 7, Kamran Akmal c Pollock b Botha 28, Abdur Rehman b Morkel 31, Rao Iftikhar not out 2, Umar Gul c Ntini b Botha 1, Mohammad Asif not out 0

Extras lb13, w5, nb1: 19; Total: For 9 wkts, 50 overs: 230

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-20, 3-38, 4-129, 5-158, 6-159, 7-219, 8-227, 9-229

Bowling: Shaun Pollock 10-0-37-1, Makhaya Ntini 10-0-26-1, Albie Morkel 10-0-54-1, Andre Nel 9-0-44-2, Johan Botha 8-0-41-2, Jacques Kallis 3-0-15-1

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South Africa: Graeme Smith c Rehman b Iftikhar 81, Herschelle Gibbs lbw Afridi 39, Shaun Pollock c Malik b Iftikhar 90, Jacques Kallis not out 6, AB de Villiers not out 1

Extras lb8, w5, nb3: 16; Total: For 3 wkts, in 37.4 overs: 233

Fall of wickets: 1-65, 2-224, 3-228

Bowling: Mohammad Asif 8-0-64-0, Umar Gul 5-0-52-0, Rao Iftikhar 5.4-0-27-2, Shahid Afridi 9-0-43-1, Abdur Rehman 10-0-39-0