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Centurion, Dec 28 (IANS) Former captain Babar Azam scored his first half-century since December 2022 while Saud Shakeel struck a superb 84 as Pakistan set South Africa a stiff target and then claimed three early wickets to set the first Test of the series for a thrilling finish at the SuperSport Park here on Saturday.

South Africa had looked the favourites after reducing Pakistan to 88/3 at stumps on the previous day. But the visitors closed the rain-curtailed third day of the match on a dramatic note by reducing the hosts to 27/3 when bad light stopped play.

With 148 runs required to seal their spot in next year's ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, South Africa got off to a nightmarish start in Centurion as Pakistan pacers dealt early blows. Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad struck with the ball as the Proteas closed the day at the loss of three wickets, with 27 runs on the board. South Africa now need 121 runs while Pakistan will have to claim seven more wickets to win the match.

Earlier, a rain-marred third day saw the entire first session being washed out. Pakistan began the second session determined to build on their lead. Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel navigated a challenging spell of bowling early on, steadily shifting the pressure back onto South Africa.

Both players reached their half-centuries, building a solid partnership of 79 runs. However, the momentum shifted dramatically in favour of the hosts, thanks to a fiery spell from Marco Jansen, who claimed three quick wickets, leaving Pakistan reeling at 176/6. Dane Paterson and Kagiso Rabada kept the pressure on, claiming one wicket each, as Pakistan teetered at 212/8 by Tea break. South Africa swiftly claimed the final two wickets shortly after lunch, with Jansen securing an impressive six-wicket haul and Corbin Bosch adding another wicket to his name in his debut test.

Despite the low total Pakistan refused to back down and picked up three wickets quickly inside the first ten overs, setting the stage for a thrilling finish.

Having won the toss and opted to bowl first, South Africa had bowled out Pakistan for 211, thanks to a five-wicket haul from Dane Paterson and an impressive debut performance by Corbin Bosch, who claimed four wickets. In response, South Africa posted 301 on the board, with Aiden Markram and Corbin Bosch leading the scoring charts with 89 and 81 respectively.

Brief scores:

Pakistan 211 & 237 all out in 59.4 overs (Saud Shakeel 84, Babar Azam 50; Marco Jansen 6-52, Kagiso Rabada 2-68) lead South Africa 301 & 27/3 in 9 overs (Aiden Markram 22 not out; Mohammad Abbas 2-3, Khurram Shahzad 1-22) by 120 runs

--IANS

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Chennai, Dec 28 (IANS) Ryan Williams struck a brace of goals to guide Bengaluru FC to a 4-2 triumph over Chennaiyin FC and closed the gap on table-toppers Mohun Bangan Super Giant in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Saturday night.

Williams scored a brace and Sunil Chhetri was also on the scoresheet as Bengaluru FC (27) reduced the deficit at the top with Mohun Bagan Super Giant (29) to only two points with the year coming to an end. Irfan Yadwad and Lalrinliana Hnamte were on the scoresheet for Chennaiyin FC.

The game started with great intensity from the first minute with Rahul Bheke testing Mohammed Nawaz with a header on target. Daniel Chima Chukwu almost handed the lead to the hosts three minutes later, when Lukas Brambilla unleashed him with a defence-splitting pass. The Nigerian’s subsequent effort was blocked by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in goal.

Despite having more of the ball in the first quarter of the game, the Marina Machans were pegged back when Williams nestled the ball into the net from a cross delivered by Jorge Pereyra Diaz in the 16th minute. But Bengaluru FC’s lead lasted only three minutes as the Marina Machans were rewarded for their sustained pressure with Irfan turning in the equaliser in the 19th minute. It was Brambilla, who was the orchestrator of the goal as he won possession in midfield before he found Irfan with a smart square pass in the penalty area.

In the 43rd minute, Bengaluru FC took the lead through Sunil Chhetri, against the run of play. Williams found Chhetri in the penalty area completely unmarked with a cross and the record goal-scorer didn’t make any mistake to head it past Nawaz and give Bengaluru a 2–1 lead. However, Chennaiyin FC clawed their way back right at the stroke of half-time when Gurpreet mismanaged a Lalrinliana Hnamte header following a long throw-in from Bikash Yumnam.

Chennaiyin FC were the dominant side throughout the first half as they pressed higher up the pitch and won possession in dangerous areas to initiate counter-attacks. However, they weren’t clinical enough to take their chances as the scores were level at the break. The Marina Machans continued their high press in the second half as they were inducing mistakes from the Bengaluru FC defenders. However, it also meant that the visitors had acres of space behind the Chennaiyin FC defence for them to exploit.

Bengaluru FC almost found the lead in the 56th minute, when Pedro Capo combined with Pereyra Diaz in the final third. However, the former’s effort was parried away by Nawaz. The Blues gradually gained momentum with the likes of Pereyra Diaz, Noguera, and Williams getting into the mix of things. They were eventually rewarded when Pereyra Diaz made a timely cut-back to find Williams in the penalty area and the Australian slotted it past Nawaz to put Bengaluru FC ahead in the game in the 69th minute.

Right after taking the lead, Gerard Zaragoza brought on Aleksandar Jovanovic and Vinith Venkatesh to replace Noguera and Chinglensana Singh to strengthen the backline. In retaliation, Owen Coyle freshened things up with Kiyan Nassiri, replacing Farukh Choudhary in attack.

However, things turned bad to worse for the Marina Machans as Williams’ cross was turned in by Laldinliana Renthlei into his own net in the 82nd minute, handing Bengaluru FC a two-goal advantage. In the last few minutes, Chennaiyin FC had a few openings but they weren’t clinical enough to reduce the deficit as they lost five out of their last six games in the competition.

Bengaluru FC will face Jamshedpur FC on January 4 whereas Chennaiyin FC will play Odisha FC on January 9.

--IANS

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Bulawayo, Dec 28 (IANS) Afghanistan’s Rahmat Shah etched his name into record books with an unbeaten 231, the highest individual score in Afghanistan’s Test history, on the third day of the first Test against Zimbabwe here on Saturday. His monumental innings, coupled with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi’s 141 not out, powered Afghanistan to a dominant 425/2 at stumps, leaving them just 161 runs behind Zimbabwe’s massive first-innings total of 586.

Starting the day precariously placed at 95/2, Afghanistan seized control at the Queens Sports Club with an unbroken 361-run partnership between Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi. The duo dismantled Zimbabwe’s six-man bowling attack, which endured a wicketless and gruelling day under the scorching Bulawayo sun.

Rahmat Shah, who came to the crease after opener Sediqullah Atal fell in the second over, displayed remarkable poise and resilience. Facing 416 deliveries, he struck 23 boundaries and three sixes, surpassing his previous highest Test score of 102 against Bangladesh in 2019.

Shah reached his 100 with a single off inexperienced spinner Brian Bennett. He brought up his double century with a boundary, once again off Bennett, becoming only the second Afghan batter to achieve this feat. Shah eclipsed the 200 not out scored by Shahidi against Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi in 2021.

Hashmatullah Shahidi, meanwhile, proved a perfect foil for Shah. The Afghan skipper struck 16 fours in his 276-ball stay at the crease, registering his second Test century. His pull shot to fine leg off debutant Newman Nyamhuri brought up the milestone, highlighting his leadership and batting prowess.

Zimbabwe, who began the match on a high with their record 586-run first innings, struggled to replicate that dominance with the ball. Inexperience in the bowling attack and sloppy fielding compounded their woes as Afghanistan capitalised on every opportunity.

Zimbabwe’s missed chances and inconsistent lines allowed Afghanistan to steadily chip away at their first-innings lead, keeping the visitors firmly in the contest. It was the 26th time a wicketless day has occurred in the history of Test cricket, the last time it occurred was during the 2019 England vs West Indies match. It's the first time it's ever happened in Zimbabwe.

The ongoing Test is the culmination of a competitive series in which Afghanistan triumphed in both the T20 and ODI legs. Zimbabwe, aiming to secure their first Test win since defeating Afghanistan three years ago, now face a stiff challenge to regain control in this match.

Brief scores:

Day 3: Zimbabwe 586 lead Afghanistan 425/2 in 125 overs (Rahmat Shah 231 not out, Hashmatullah Shahidi 141 not out; Blessing Muzarabani 1-46, Trevor Gwandu 1-86) by 161 runs.

--IANS

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Beijing, Dec 27 (IANS) Renowned Chinese table tennis stars Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng announced their withdrawal from the world rankings on Friday, citing new regulations imposed by World Table Tennis (WTT). According to their announcements on Chinese social media, both of them have formally signed a notification declaring their "retirement from all ITTF-sanctioned events" on Monday.

As defined in the ITTF Statutes, the ITTF-sanctioned events include the events sanctioned by WTT.

Fan, the reigning men's singles champion of the Paris Olympics, shared the news earlier this morning. He stated that he is unable to comply with WTT's new regulation, which imposes fines on players for not participating in events, reports Xinhua.

However, he emphasised that this decision does not signal his retirement from the sport. Instead, Fan plans to continue competing in various tournaments and contributing to the ping-pong community.

Chen, who successfully defended her Olympic title against world No. 1 Sun Yingsha in the women's singles final at Paris 2024, announced her withdrawal from the world rankings in the afternoon.

Chen noted that WTT's new regulation regarding fines for withdrawing from competitions posed a tough choice for her, with her ongoing physical challenges that make it impossible for her to compete in every high-intensity tournament.

Both Fan and Chen delivered excellent performances at the Paris Olympics, winning gold medals in both singles and team events, but neither has participated in any international competitions since their Olympic triumph.

The ITTF rankings, which are updated dynamically, rely on players' performances across a rolling schedule of sanctioned events.

--IANS

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Bulawayo, Dec 27 (IANS) Skipper Craig Ervine and Brian Bennett scored centuries after Sean Williams reached the three-figure mark on the opening day as Zimbabwe posted a massive 586 runs on the second day of the first Test against Afghanistan and claimed two early wickets at the Queens Sports Club here on Friday. This is Zimbabwe's highest-ever Test score against Afghanistan.

Sean Williams, who was unbeaten on 145 at the end of the first day, could add only nine more runs to his total when Zimbabwe started at the overnight score of 363/4. But Ervine, who were batting on 56 not out, scored 104 while Bennett contributed an unbeaten 110 as Zimbabwe reached a massive score.

They then took further control of the match by claiming two early wickets to reduce Afghanistan to 95/2 in 30 overs. Rahmat Shah was batting on 49 along with skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi on 16 not out and the onus will be on them to help Afghanistan make a strong replay in their first innings.

Starting on 363/4, Afghanistan got early success as Naveed Zadran got Sean Williams for the addition of 20 runs to the score when the seasoned batter fell to a barrage of short-pitched stuff, pulling it straight to Rahmat Shah in the deep.

Afghanistan's hopes of more success were delayed by Ervine and Bennett, who shared an 82-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Ervine completed his century 106 deliveries. He was out soon, edging behind off Zia-ur Rahman for 104 off 176 deliveries, hitting 10 fours.

Bennett continued to hold the fort at the other end despite losing Brandon Mavuis for a two-ball duck. He found good support from Newman Nyamhuri (26) and Blessing Muzarsbani as he reached his century off 121 balls. He remained unbeaten with 110 off 124 balls studded with five fours and four sixes as the hosts reached a massive total.

In reply, Afghanistan got off to a poor start as they lost debutant Sediqullah Atal (3) in the second over, castled by fellow debutant Trevor Gwandu for three. Abdul Malik and Rahmat Shah added 61 runs for the second wicket partnership before Malik fell to Blessing Muzarabani, miscuing a catch to Ben Curran in fine leg region.

Afghanistan are still 491 runs behind and will now look up to Rahmat Shah and skipper Shahidi for recovery.

Brief scores:

Zimbabwe 586 all out in 135.2 overs (Sean Williams 154, Craig Ervine 104, Brian Bennett 110 not out, Ben Curran 68; AM Ghazanfar 3-127, Zia-ur-Rehman 2-101, Naveed Zadran 2-109) lead Afghanistan 95/2 in 30 overs (Rahmat Shah 49 not out, Hashmatullah Shahidi 16 not out; Trevor Gwandu 1-16, Blessing Muzarabani 1-15) by 491 runs.

--IANS

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Coimbatore, Dec 27 (IANS) Chandigarh Chargers and the UP Falcons won their respective matches on the fifth day of the 11th Yuva Kabaddi Series Division 2 at the Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, which witnessed exciting action as teams fought for the top two spots.

The day began with Chandigarh Chargers overpowering Panchala Pride 47-27. Dinesh stole the spotlight with a Super 10, while Gurmeet Dalal and Lakshay contributed with High 5s in defense. Panchala Pride’s Aditya Kumar and Rahul Kumar managed eight points each but couldn’t stop the Chargers' onslaught.

In the second match, UP Falcons kept their winning streak alive with a narrow 30-26 victory over Hampi Heroes. Rachit Yadav and Ashish Bhati led the charge with seven raid points each, and Navneet Nagar got a High 5. For Hampi, Darshan R. also achieved a High 5, but his efforts lacked support from the rest of the team.

In the third match, Chola Veerans secured a hard-fought 35-32 win over Delhi Dhurandhars. Iyyappan Veerapandian was the standout performer for Chola, scoring an impressive 13 raid points. Delhi’s Kunal Tanwar displayed an all-round effort, collecting nine points, but his team fell short in the final moments.

The day concluded with Vizag Victors defeating Sindh Sonics 50-39 in a high-scoring encounter. Samara Simha Reddy Gunimini delivered a stellar performance with 19 raid points, receiving solid support from his teammates. For the Sonics, Balraj Singh was the lone warrior, amassing 17 raid points, but the lack of support from his team proved costly.

--IANS

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Centurion, Dec 27 (IANS) A win away from sealing a place in the final of the World Test Championships (WTC), South Africa rode on brilliant batting by Corbin Bosch, who scored 81 not out on debut, to take the first innings lead against Pakistan in the first Test at the SuperSport Park here on Friday.

Two feisty late wicket stands helped South Africa gain a significant advantage over Pakistan on the second day of the Boxing Day Test. The rearguard action helped South Africa secure a crucial lead in the first innings after Pakistan pacers had nearly equalised the contest. Thereafter, strikes from their bowlers ensured that advantage remained with South Africa going into day three in Centurion.

The South African pair of Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma began the day positively, cutting down the 129-run deficit by 54 runs in a brisk start. Bavuma ended up nicking one-off Aamir Jamal in the 37th over, giving Pakistan their first strike. However, newcomer David Bedingham picked pace in no time and smashed a quickfire 30. South Africa looked like they might set in for a comfortable lead, but Naseem Shah came good for the tourists.

The right-arm pacer ran through the middle-order, bringing the score from 178/4 to 191/7, and as Khurram Shahzad got the big wicket of Markram (89) at 213, South Africa were left with just two wickets as they had just gone past Pakistan’s total.

But debutant Corbin Bosch had other plans. He settled in and displayed exquisite strokeplay during his unbeaten 81, hitting 15 boundaries during his stay and partnered with other lower-order batters to further South Africa's advantage. His 41-run ninth-wicket stand with Kagiso Rabada, and 47-run 10th-wicket stand with Dane Paterson gave the Proteas a crucial 90-run lead.

Trailing in the third innings, openers gave Pakistan a positive start, adding a quick 49 with Saim Ayub taking the lead in run-scoring. However, as the southpaw was cleaned up by Kagiso Rabada for 28, Pakistan suffered a mini-collapse, losing three wickets for 25 runs. Marco Jansen brought in the other two breakthroughs for South Africa.

Pakistan were still in the deficit by two runs when bad light stopped play.

Brief scores:

Pakistan 211 & 88/3 in 22 overs (Saim Ayub 28, Shan Masood 28; Marco Jansen 2-17) trail South Africa 201 all out in 73.4 overs (Aiden Markram 89, Corbin Bosch 81 not out, Temba Bavuma 31; Khurram Shahzad 3-75, Naseem Shah 3-92, Aamer Jamal 2-36) by 2 runs.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Dec 27 (IANS) Mohammedan SC held Odisha FC to a goalless draw in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan here on Friday night to break their five-game-long losing streak in the competition. The Juggernauts dominated 57.6% of the possession but didn’t take a single shot on target, as opposed to the two of the home side. Mohammedan SC and Odisha FC took eight and five shots off target though, suggesting a lack of accuracy upfront.

As both teams attempted to break free to assert their gameplay, Mohammedan SC got the first clear-cut goal-scoring opportunity of the game in the seventh minute. Alexis Gomez picked up a ball from a set-piece and sent in a cross for Joe Zoherliana at the centre of the box, which the latter ended up heading above the target.

Seven minutes later, Bikash Singh set up a chance for Gomez, who shot it past the left side of the goal from outside of the 18-yard box. Gomez continued to stay in the centre of the action, as his presence in the final third was central to Mohammedan SC producing opportunities. In the 20th minute, he crossed in the ball for Lalremsanga Fanai in the middle of the box, whose shot lacked precision again.

Fanai interlinked again with Gomez 15 minutes later, and the latter took a heavy touch but smashed the ball from considerable distance. The effort required Amrinder Singh to make a quick adjustment and save it to keep the scores level.

Odisha FC were struggling to get their grip on the proceedings but discovered a formidable chance in the 54th minute, courtesy of a free-kick from Hugo Boumous. The attacking midfielder lobbed a ball into the box, which seemed to be directed to Thoiba Singh, but Mohammedan SC’s Mohammed Irshad ended up getting to the delivery first. His header, however, was making it past Padam Chettri until the custodian showed quick reflexes to save the ball from going into the net.

The home side were quick to regain control though, and Gomez again sprung back into the offensive in the 66th minute. He engaged in a swift one-two with Bikash on the left flank before sprinting down the centre and unleashing a powerful shot that ricocheted off the crossbar, which was the closest he had come to breaking the deadlock.

Seven minutes later, Mohammedan SC probed the Odisha FC backline with Irshad receiving the ball from a corner and swinging in a creative cross for Cesar Manzoki, who hit the crossbar from a touchingly close distance.

The Juggernauts made some late substitutions in the form of Aphaoba Singh and Rohit Kumar coming in for Isak Vanlalruatfela and Thoiba respectively with three minutes to go for the regulation time to round off. In the fourth minute of the added time of the second half, Boumous delivered a lateral ball for Diego Mauricio inside the box, but the Brazilian’s headed shot didn’t land on target, summing up an evening of missed opportunities.

The attacking midfielder completed 36 out of his 42 attempted passes, creating three goal-scoring chances, making as many tackles, in addition to one clearance, two interceptions, and nine crosses.

Mohammedan SC will play their next game against NorthEast United FC on January 3, whereas Odisha FC will lock horns against FC Goa on January 4.

--IANS

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Perth, Dec 26 (IANS) Top-seeded Americans Taylor Fritz and Coco Gauff found time to visit Western Australia's iconic Rottnest Island on the eve of the start of the new tennis season on Friday at the United Cup, the prestigious mixed-gender team competition which is a major stop in the build-up for the year's first Grand Slam, Australian Open. United Cup play in Sydney begins on Saturday.

Fritz, at a career-high No. 4 in the ATP Rankings, and World No. 3 Gauff strolled the island's picturesque Basin, posed for selfies with the native quokkas, and enjoyed a famous 'Cray Dog', a Western Australian-inspired lobster roll.

Gauff was joined by her parents and younger brothers, Codey and Cameron. "It's great to bring my family here. It's my first Christmas away from home. It was important for them to be able to come with me,” Gauff said. “They're on Christmas break, so for them to be able to see a different part of the world is cool."

Fritz was part of the United States championship team at the inaugural event in 2023. Gauff, who ended her 2024 season on a high with victory at the WTA Finals, is making her tournament debut.

"It's actually my third time in Perth as I played ATP Cup here in 2020, so I'm pretty familiar with the city and I'm happy to be back in Perth," said Fritz, who ended the 2024 season by reaching the ATP Finals championship match and with a 53-23 match record according to Infosys ATP Stats. "Coco and I got some experience playing mixed doubles at the Olympics, so hopefully that will help us."

Despite being the top seeds, Fritz said the American team needed to attend to short-term goals. "We've got to focus on getting out of the group because we didn't even do that last year. We've got to look at the teams in front of us before we start looking too far ahead."

Action begins on Friday in Perth with Kazakhstan taking on Spain and China meeting Brazil and Saturday in Sydney. Both cities host group-play and knockout quarterfinals, with the semifinals and final to be played exclusively in Sydney on January 4-5. The U.S. play their first match on Sunday evening with two highly anticipated singles matches. Fritz will play Felix Auger-Aliassime, whom he leads 2-0 in their ATP head-to-head series. Gauff will meet former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez.

--IANS

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Centurion, Dec 26 (IANS) Bowled out for 211 after being asked to bat first, Pakistan came back strongly to reduce South Africa to 82/3 on the first day of the Boxing Day Test to leave the match poised in balance at the SuperSport Park here on Thursday. Pacers held sway as 13 wickets fell on an intriguing day at the end of which both teams could take some heart from their performance.

An interesting contest is brewing in Centurion as South Africa, hoping to confirm their place in next year’s ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final, pushed hard on a wicket that had pace and bounce as they capitalised on some poor shot selection by the Pakistan batters and superb five-wicket haul by Dane Paterson (5-61). After struggling with the bat, Pakistan struck back with the ball running through South Africa's top order in Centurion. At stumps, the Proteas were 129 runs adrift of the Pakistan total with seven wickets in hand. In all 293 runs were scored, even as 13 wickets fell on the day.

A win in this Test will ensure South Africa's participation in the WTC final. They are currently atop the WTC Standings.

Both sides went in with pace-heavy lineups, with South Africa going in with Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Dane Paterson, and debutant Corbin Bosch. On the other hand, Pakistan had Naseem Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Khurram Shahzad, and Aamer Jamal.

In the first innings of the game, South Africa firmed their position as Paterson and Bosch partnered together to claim nine Pakistan wickets. Opting to field first, the hosts were on target early in the day. Making his debut for the Proteas, Bosch struck the first blow, inducing a thick outside edge off skipper Shan Masood that flew to Marco Jansen at gully.

Paterson delivered from the other end in the next over, getting rid of Saim Ayub with a ripper angling into the off stump. Before long, Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel followed suit as the two pacers added to their tally.

Kamran Ghulam (54) and Mohammad Rizwan (27) then combined to add 79 runs for the fifth wicket. But just as Pakistan were turning the tide, Paterson struck again, this time removing Ghulam. The floodgates opened up for the hosts as the next four wickets fell before Tea, negotiating a mere 52 runs in exchange. As they slipped from 189/6 to 189/9, the Asian side risked a sub-200 total.

With a solitary wicket in hand, Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Abbas put on a late rearguard display. But before long, Marco Jansen brought the curtains down on Pakistan’s innings. Paterson went on to seize his second Test five-for, while Bosch finished with four to his name on debut.

In South Africa's innings, Aiden Markram put up a brave face with the bat, even as other batters struggled against Pakistan. Khurram Shahzad ripped open the top-order by dismissing Tony de Zorzi (2) and Ryan Rickelton (8) in his opening spell. Mohammad Abbas in his first Test appearance since 2021, got the wicket of Stubbs (9) at 66. Markram then held on, stitching together a fighting 47 even as he survived the final stages of play along with skipper Temba Bavuma (4 not out).

Brief scores:

Pakistan 211 all out in 57.3 overs (Kamran Ghulam 54, Aamer Jamal 28; Dane Paterson 5-61, Corbin Bosch 4-63) lead South Africa 82/3 in 22 overs (Aiden Markram 47 not out; Khurram Shahzad 2-28, Mohammad Abbas 1-36) by 129 runs.

--IANS

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