Battle of the best bowling teams

In the only Twenty20 international between the two teams, South Africa cruised to a ten-wicket win with 51 balls to spare. Can Pakistan turn the table this time? A look at how the stats stack up for Pakistan and South Africa ahead of their ICC World Twenty20 semi-final.

The overall numbers

As you'd expect with a team which has won five games on the trot in the tournament, South Africa have excellent numbers with both bat and ball - they are marginally ahead of Pakistan in both aspects. Neither of the two teams are at the top of the tree in terms of batting stats - West Indies takes that honour - but with the ball South Africa and Pakistan are easily the two best sides in the competition. They have taken the most number of wickets in the tournament so far with 42 and 41, and are the only sides who have conceded less than seven runs per over.

The Powerplay overs

Both South Africa and Pakistan have been among the more conservative teams with the bat during the first six overs, scoring at less than eight runs per over. South Africa, though, have been excellent at keeping wickets in hand, losing just three during the Powerplay overs all tournament, and averaging 77 per wicket. Their opening partnership of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis has been among the best in the competition. Pakistan, on the other hand, have lost nine wickets during the first six overs.

As bowling teams, South Africa have been far superior in the first six, taking 11 wickets - the second-highest, after England's 13 - at an excellent average and economy rate.

Wayne Parnell and Dale Steyn have been exceptional in the first six. Mohammad Aamer is the most successful for Pakistan, but he has been relatively expensive, going at seven-and-a-half per over.

The middle overs - 7 to 14

Pakistan have been the slightly stronger team overall in the middle overs, scoring at a better rate and taking four more wickets than the South African bowlers.

The star bowler in the middle overs has been Shahid Afridi who has done a remarkable job of taking wickets and keeping the runs in check. In 114 deliveries he has taking eight wickets, an average of less than 15 balls per wicket, at an economy rate of only slightly more than five per over.

The last six overs

South Africa have been the slightly better batting team in the last six overs, but both have been outstanding with the ball, conceding less than ten runs per wicket, and less than seven per over. That's ensured that the batting teams have had little momentum towards the end of their innings.

Umar Gul has taken the most number of wickets in the last six overs, but there have been several other star performers from both teams. Saeed Ajmal has been outstanding, both in terms of taking wickets and keeping runs in check, and the same applies to Steyn, Parnell and van der Merwe as well.

How the runs have been scored

There's little to choose in the manner in which the two teams have scored the runs in this tournament: the dot-ball percentages are almost equal, but Pakistan have, surprisingly, scored a higher percentage of their runs in singles, twos and threes.

The extras factor

South Africa are clearly ahead in his area: they've bowled one no-ball and 17 wides, to Pakistan's eight no-balls and 23 wides.