South Africa v Pakistan 2007-08
Wisden's match report of the Twenty20 International between South Africa and Pakistan, 2007-08
Neil Manthorp
15-Apr-2008
At Johannesburg, February 2, 2007 (day/night). South Africa won by ten wickets. Toss: South
Africa. Twenty20 international debuts: A. C. Thomas, M. N. van Wyk; Abdur Rehman, Imran
Nazir, Shabbir Ahmed, Zulqarnain Haider.
South African openers Smith and Bosman raced past their target in the 12th over, to complete
the first ten-wicket win in Twenty20 internationals. Their stand of 132 was the highest to date in
the genre; Smith had shared the only previous century partnership, with Gibbs, against Australia
the previous year. They hit 14 fours and six sixes between them, nearly twice as many as the
Pakistanis, who managed a total of only 129. The tourists' captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, was ruled
out by injury, and their hardest-hitting batsman, Shahid Afridi, had to retire hurt for a while after
being struck in the groin by Telemachus.
Man of the Match: L. L. Bosman. Attendance: 25,645.
Neil Manthorp is a South African broadcaster and journalist, and head of the MWP Sport agency