Pakistan v South Africa

At Tangier, August 12. South Africa won by 54 runs. South Africa 4 pts. Toss: South Africa.

North Africa's very first foray into top-level international cricket was partly coloured by a story from the other end of the continent: this was South Africa's first game since the death of Hansie Cronje on June 1. Pollock and his team wore black armbands, observed a minute's silence and later dedicated their victory to Cronje, saying they had "tried to produce a performance he would be proud of ". Wasim Akram bowled the first-ever ball at Tangier, as he began his world-record 335th one-day international. South Africa batted watchfully on a square that had previously hosted just two club games - and were boosted by some generous fielding from the Pakistanis. Gibbs, who had been both mentored and led astray by Cronje, marked the occasion with his seventh one-day international hundred, and Boje provided the fireworks with 52 off 45 balls. Pakistan's reply was all cameo and no substance. South Africa's fielding was sharp despite, or because of, their four-month lay-off, but the real difference between the sides was intelligence - the South Africans were quicker to see the need to bat shrewdly rather than showily, and to vary the pace of the ball. After Kallis swung the match South Africa's way, Pakistan remained in the hunt until Rashid Latif and Abdul Razzaq fell to successive balls to turn 221 for six into 221 for eight with ten overs to go.

Man of the Match: H. H. Gibbs.