and there it is! leg stump yorker breaches his defences and South Africa have the win and the series. Junaid wanted to drill it through the off side again, but it was just too quick for him. McLaren punches the air, AB de Villiers kisses the South Africa crest on his uniform and that is that
South Africa vs Pakistan, 4th ODI at Abu Dhabi, Nov 08 2013 - Match Result
And that is all we have for you, folks. It's time for me to shove off, but there's plenty more lined up for you, right from the report to the plays so scout around and enjoy what has been a truly exciting one-day match. This is Alagappan Muthu, signing off.
11.10pm Misbah-ul-Haq says Pakistan were in a good position until the last five overs but that over [Steyn's] changed the game. We had two set batsman and the equation was 30 balls 41 runs which was gettable. But Steyn's over and the over before [Morkel's which went for two runs] put pressure on us. We missed couple of chances in the field as well and one of them cost over 100 runs. Few run-out chances as well and had we got them we could have restricted them for under 250. Sohaib Maqsood was really something special on debut, with the confidence and maturity he showed. Every game is important, these are international games. No doubt we lost the series and we want to finish on a high. Yeah, looks like we are playing only South Africa. We are really playing each other a lot over the recent years.
Dale Steyn is declared the Man of the Match for his 10-1-25-5. The rest did help. Very happy with the performance, happy to win the series tonight itself. Actually I don't know what I was doing in that over, I was just trying to visualise my field, and AB was talking but all I could hear was just mumbling. But the team did well as a unit, AB made the right bowling changes and the pressure we put forced forced Pakistan to make the errors [in my over]. I guess that's my job, isn't it? I'm supposed to be an angry fast bowler and I was just reminding Hafeez that I'd got him out a couple of times and and to Misbah, I told him he was Pakistan's final hope. Just means it was going to be difficult to better. Happy to get another five-for. Its only my second one, not playing a lot of ODI cricket, but hopefully I go from strength to strength.
AB de Villiers is happy and proud of the boys with this series win away from home, especially after a really bad series in Sri Lanka. I wasn't thinking on Sharjah, was thinking of one ball at a time and focus on the present and try not to think too far ahead. Having won here two days ago, we had the confidence and having started well, we continued our momentum. If the decider had gone to Sharjah it would have been tight, but its good we wrapped things up here. Quinton de Kock is a serious talent for the future in South Africa for the first time I saw him play. I was expecting him to come through in two or three years time but to do it so so early, especially after a tough tour to Sri Lanka where he had some mental and technical issues is great. Nice to have Steyn in the team, I play around him and he has that killer instinct. Everyone had it in this game, even JP Duminy. I really enjoyed captaining tonight, it was a hard game, I knew it wasn't going to be easy and Pakistan would come at us hard which they did. We hit back with our patience and the communication was pretty good, Hashim was always at my ear and we took out catches and got some run-outs and things worked out. Its a very proud moment for me to win a series away from home and would love to make it 4-1.
Quinton de Kock says it is always a privilege to get that for your home country, just soaking in the moment. It was more, I made a mistake for my last game and maybe so this time I decided I'd just tick it around and work for my runs and it paid off. I dont know where that shot came from but I think it was just a reaction shot. This is definitely one of the best moments and hopefully more will come though. Yeah, AB came up and said "You beauty" and we just celebrated. I wouldn't say I really belong here yet. I haven't made my name in international cricket, I've only made one hundred and playing with people like Hash and AB and against players like MIsbah, I have a long way to go. I had a bit of luck through my innings. I'm just happy that we won the game.
Sohaib Maqsood says first of all thanks to Allah, I've been able to see the day to play for Pakistan. It is a huge dream come true, but it would have been better had we won. I'm naturally a stroke player and I've been in good nick in List A, but this is international cricket and the bowlers will come hard and you, so the best you can do is just go out and play your natural game. In the practice game the intensity was quite different, it was a crunch game today and I was just concentrating on playing my natural game. It doesn't matter whether Steyn or Morkel is bowling, it if was in my zone I was looking to hit it. People would say I had sat out for the first three games but it was a great learning experience and to be part of the squad for the first time. I watched those matches and I learned how things are done in international cricket. Had I played the first game things might have turned out differently. So I'm happy for my knock today. There wasn't a set plan to go after the bowlers in the batting powerplay, if there was something to hit, I would go for it, but the ball hit the bottom of my bat and I got out.
11.02pm Pakistan looked on course to overhaul the target, which admittedly was a difficult one when Misbah and Sohaib Maqsood were at the crease. Both of them marshalled the middle overs very well, but a flurry of late wickets, especially that over when Dale Steyn picked up three wickets, ensured it was a script that read so close and yet so far for Pakistan once again. Steyn was South Africa's trump card, providing break throughs every time they were needed. The quick picked up his second five-wicket haul in ODIs and his best bowling figures so far with 5-24 off 10 overs and so South Africa take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. Do stick around for the presentation.
Dean Gatinho: "Pakistan choked... SA avoided that twice this series, hopefully a sign of good for the future"
Mudit: "Same old story..nothing after Misbah...loosing 5 wickets in 10 runs to self destroy a promising effort"
shailendra: "Well this is amazing bowling by steyn, his overs to maqsood were brilliant, he bowled every delivery with some purpose which is rare these days"
Tipu: "Disgusting, annoying, irritating, frustrating, infuriating, horrifying #World famous Pakistani collapse..."
right up there on middle stump and Irfan keeps it out as he drives down the ground and manages to get a single
hemantha: "30 needed off 0ne over.. can some one pull off a Ishant sharma?"
wasif: "Can ICC intervene and award this match to Pakistan, i mean for the good of the game, they have crossed 200 batting 2nd !!"
this time he bowls a full length ball to which Junaid attempts a slog through the off side but misses
another short ball, this time better directed as Junaid moves towards the leg side and looks to cut. The ball bounces higher than he thought it would and beats him
sohail yoonas: "@AZEEM: You spoke too soon...250 isn't happening"
short ball outside off stump but Junaid is not interested
110 kph, off cutter from Steyn and the change of pace beats Juniaid's intended flick shot and hits his thigh pad
full length ball again, homing on on middle and Irfan stays safely leg side of the ball and pushes it down the ground for a single
length ball on middle, which forces the batsman back into his crease and awkwardly push down the ground
another yorker from McLaren. This is exactly why South Africa hold him back and his accuracy matches up as Junaid keeps this one out as he pushes down the ground
full and straight he does well to dig it out. The ball runs away towards midwicket and the batsmen sneak a couple
Junaid Khan is the last man in
and with that wicket, a lot of the crowd are rushing off the ground. Its clear who they came here to see.
and finally South Africa get a direct hit and Afridi is not even in the frame. Faf du Plessis had one-and-a-half stumps to aim at from backward point and he nails it. It was a short ball from McLaren and Irfan managed to fend it away. Afridi called him through for the single, and has obviously underestimated Faf's skills in he field
suraj shukla: "being Afridi there, Misbah could have waited for next over, surely not stayen.. This is where MSD is better then anyone else across the world.. Play off better bowlers and go off to weaker one's.. Great show StayenGun"
full length ball on middle and off and Afridi manages to power the ball to deep extra cover
in swing for McLaren and he uses it to bolster the yorker. Afridi mimics the shape the ball followed with his hand after missing the ball while looking to drill it down the ground
wide almost-yorker, and Afridi was looking flay it through the covers but doesn't even connect
ALI HASSAN: "Alas... Same story... this match will probably decide Afridi's future."
143 kph, what was he doing there? Ajmal was looking to pull a good length ball that rushed through and shattered his stumps. Steyn has three in his over and has five for the match. This is his best bowling figures in ODIs. He is pumped!
length ball on middle and off and Afridi gets forward and slogs it in the air down to long-on
double-strike for Steyn! And its the big wicket, Misbah is gone! Full length ball and he wanted to whack it over deep midwicket. But he had not hit it quite as well as he would have liked as the ball got too much height and AB comes in from the boundary and takes a cool catch
length ball outside off stump and he cuts it away to point
full and wide outside off stump and he steers it away to third man for another single
Shahid Afridi is the new man, with the equation at 39 off 23
and Steyn provides the wicket again! It was full and on of the off stump. Akmal went for the huge heave over midwicket, but got a leading edge and the ball sailed to the third man boundary where the Morne Morkel was lurking. He used his full height, settles himself on the boundary and timed his jump backwards perfectly to take a great catch
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi | |
Toss | South Africa, elected to bat first |
Series | |
Season | 2013/14 |
Player Of The Match | |
Series result | South Africa led the 5-match series 3-1 |
Match number | ODI no. 3431 |
Hours of play (local time) | 15.00 start, First Session 15.00-18.30, Interval 18.30-19.15, Second Session 19.15-22.45 |
Match days | 8 November 2013 - daynight (50-over match) |
ODI debut | |
Umpires | |
TV Umpire | |
Reserve Umpire | |
Match Referee |