First T20: Rain sees Pakistan lose by four runs

Rain washed out play with Pakistan on 60 for two in 9.1 overs, four runs short of the D/L par score for victory.

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa beat Pakistan by four runs under the Duckworth/Lewis scoring system in the first Twenty20 international at The Wanderers, Johannesburg on Wednesday.

Shortly before a storm broke over the stadium, South African captain Faf du Plessis called up JP Duminy to bowl his off-spinners, and Duminy caught Nasir Jamshed off his own bowling with his third delivery.

Only ten more deliveries were possible before play was halted. Pakistan were 60 for two after 9.1 overs, four runs short of a revised par score after South Africa made 153 for seven in their 20 overs. Jamshed's wicket meant that the target was pushed just out of Pakistan's reach.

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.

The success of the slower men made it puzzling that Pakistan made a late switch in their team, leaving out their world-class off-spinner Saeed Ajmal at the last minute, causing a delay in the toss.

With play starting 25 minutes late following a thunderstorm, Hafeez said it was the first time he had seen the pitch. Ajmal was in the team list handed to the media before the toss but it transpired the change was made as a result of seeing a pitch expected to favour fast bowlers. Junaid Khan, not originally named, took the field instead of Ajmal after Hafeez sent South Africa in.

Hafeez and Afridi took three wickets between them for 39 in their combined eight overs as the South African innings lost momentum.

South Africa's defence of their total started badly when Lonwabo Tsotsobe's first deliveries were called wide, with one going for an extra four runs. But Tsotsobe came back strongly and bowled Ahmed Shehzad for nine in an unbroken four-over spell of one for 19.

Shehzad and Hafeez put on 32 and Pakistan looked well placed before they were thwarted by Duminy and the rain.

Earlier, rain had already caused a delayed start to the match.

After Hafeez won the toss and put the hosts in to bat first on a wet outfield, Pakistani seamers failed to place any sort of restriction on South African strokeplay.

As Anwar Ali and Sohail Tanvir opened the attack, the Proteas marched to 41 without a loss in four overs.

Saeed Ajmal excluded from the playing eleven, Hafeez brought himself on and pulled things back with two wickets.

Debutant Bilawal Bhatti impressed with his nippy bowling. He took a wicket but ended up with expensive figures at 35 for 1.

Hafeez took two for 25 while Junaid Khan took as many wickets for 24 runs.

Shahid Afridi also managed to take one wicket.

Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq are out of the match due to injury. In their stead, Pakistan are playing seamer Anwar Ali and debutant all-rounder Bilawal Bhatti.

Pakistan

Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez (c), Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Amin, Umar Akmal†,Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Bilawal Bhatti, Junaid Khan, Anwar Ali

South Africa

HM Amla, Q de Kock†, F du Plessis (c), H Davids, JP Duminy, DA Miller, WD Parnell, M Morkel, DW Steyn,LL Tsotsobe, Imran Tahir