Series surrendered: Pakistan all out for 238 to lose 4th ODI

Man-of-the-match Dale Steyn took 5 for 25 while Pakistani debutante Sohaib Maqsood scored an impressive 56.

The debutante and the veteran together could not succeed in saving the series as Pakistan fizzled out for 238 in 49.2 overs in response to South Africa's 266 in the 4th One Day International (ODI) between South Africa and Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on Friday, according to Espncricinfo.

Pakistan lost the match and the five-match series by 3-1.

Compared to their earlier performances, the Pakistani batting order showed a little more spine today, thanks largely to Misbah's 65 and a commanding 56 by Sohaib Maqsood.

At one stage, the Asians looked set to achieve the target, with a little over hundred runs required from 15 overs, and Misbah and Maqsood progressing at a healthy run-rate.

Maqsood, with six fours and two sixes, became the seventh Pakistani batsman to score a fifty in his debut.

But soon after Maqsood's dismissal, Pakistan crumbled in familiar fashion. Asad Shafiq and Umar Akmal went out cheaply, while Misbah fell prey to the need of increasing the run-rate.

After Shahid Afridi found himself run-out off a brilliant throw by du Plessis, Pakistan had as good as lost the game already.

From the Proteas side, Dale Steyn fired in 10 overs of superb fast bowling to claim 5 wickets for 25 runs, also winning the Man-of-the-Match award.

While Tahir, Tsotsobe and McLaren grabbed a wicket each, Morkel went wicketless. The Pakistani batsman managed to score at a rate of over six-an-over off each Tahir and McLaren.

The final match of the series will be played on Nov 11.

Quinton de Kock scores century

Earlier, the Proteas got off to a solid start after their captain AB de Villers won the toss and elected to bat first.

Veteran Hashim Amla teamed up with the prolific youngster Quinton de Kock to establish a half-century stand for the first wicket before Amla got bowled off Hafeez for a score of 46.

De Kock went on to score 112 runs from nine fours and a six until Junaid Khan finally got the better of him in the 43rd over.

Smaller contributions from the South African middle order then stretched the score to 266, a daunting score to chase for the famously fragile Pakistani lineup.

From Pakistan's side, Junaid Khan and Mohammad Hafeez were the more successful bowlers, grabbing two wickets apiece.

Mohammad Irfan got Faf du Plessis out cheaply, but his eight overs yielded an expensive economy rate of 6.51.

Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal went wicketless.

The Pakistan team needs a victory to stay alive in the series as the score currently stand at 2-1 in South Africa's favor.

South Africa won the first match in the five-ODI series, Pakistan won the second and victory was tossed back to South Africa in the third.

Pakistan lost the third ODI against South Africa by 68 runs, in which the winning team had scored 260 runs.

Pakistan team:

Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Sohaib Maqsood, Asad Shafiq, Misbahul Haq (c), Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan

South Africa:

HM Amla, Q de Kock, JP Duminy, AB de Villiers (c), F du Plessis, DA Miller, R McLaren, DW Steyn, M Morkel, LL Tsotsobe, Imran Tahir