Pakistan v South Africa, 2012-13

At Cape Town, February 14-17, 2013. South Africa won by four wickets. Toss: South Africa. Test debut: Mohammad Irfan.

Two recent Tests at Newlands, against Australia in November 2011 and New Zealand the previous month, had been three-day affairs - financial disasters for the Western Province Union. Specific instructions may not have been delivered to head groundsman Evan Flint, but his duty this time round was made clear. There was barely a blade of grass, never mind the green stuff which had made those previous Tests so exciting, if brief. In fact, the pitch for Cape Town's 50th Test match was dry and bare enough for Smith to express his concern before play started: "It certainly brings their spinners into the game more than we would have expected." It was prophetic stuff, and Saeed Ajmal did all he could to square the series with ten wickets in the match - but South Africa continued to find a way to respond to what Smith called the "big moments".

After the usual new-ball outburst had reduced Pakistan to 33 for four, Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq hit back with a gritty stand of 219. Philander broke the partnership - both men would fall for 111 - then claimed three more victims. But 70 were added for the final two wickets on the back of an old-fashioned tailender's crash-bang from Tanvir Ahmed. Pakistan's total felt about par, but it was looking considerably better than that when Ajmal ripped through South Africa's top order to reduce them to 109 for five. He took his sixth wicket with the score at 164, but his chances of all ten were cuppered when the pacy left-armer Mohammad Irfan dismissed de Villiers for 61.

With only three wickets left and still 128 behind, South Africa were up against it. They were rescued by Peterson, primarily a left-arm spinner but also an underrated batsman who had enjoyed few chances to excel in an on-off international career. His 84 - only his second score above 34 in 11 Tests spread over ten years - and important contributions from the three seamers restricted Pakistan's lead to 12. Batting conditions had started deteriorating by the second day, leaving no doubt about the importance of South Africa's recovery.

The uneven bounce now made Steyn a nightmare, though a hamstring strain spared Pakistan the hostility of Morkel. But Philander was like a cat in a canary cage, pouncing with every delivery and licking his lips at the discomfort. Match figures of nine for 99 were consistent with the jet-propelled start to his Test career, but such numbers do not happen by accident: his skill was matched by his control, and the batsmen rarely, if ever, felt secure. Pakistan slipped to 45 for three, but were dragged back by a stand of 69, with Azhar Ali fighting an admirable rearguard and Misbah-ul-Haq striking three sixes in a brave attempt to counter-attack. But in the ninth over of the fourth morning Misbah made what he admitted was "a big mistake", top-edging a sweep off Peterson to short fine leg. Before this rush of blood, his team were leading by 126 with seven wickets in hand: the general wisdom was that even South Africa's celebrated batting line-up would struggle to chase much more than 200. But Misbah's wicket was the first of seven to fall for 55, with Peterson an excellent foil for the seamers.

In the run-chase, Amla defied Ajmal until 150 of the required 182 had been scored - and that, in effect, was that. Two further wickets went down after Amla fell for a classy 58, which made the eventual margin of victory look tighter than it really was. This was no consolation to Pakistan, although they had provided South Africa with the first genuine test of their home summer. But it was a significant source of satisfaction for Smith and coach Gary Kirsten that they had shown they could win tough, having displayed their ability to win easy.
Man of the Match: R. J. Peterson.