Smith scales another peak

Stats highlights from South Africa's series-clinching win in Cape Town

17-Feb-2013

Graeme Smith scored a half-century in his 100th Test as captain, South Africa v Pakistan, 1st Test, Johannesburg, 2nd day, February 2, 2013

Following a middle-order collapse, Pakistan were unable to defend a below-par target. Here are highlights from a day which saw South Africa improve further on their top record in Cape Town.

With the four-wicket win, Graeme Smith has become the most successful Test captain, with 49 wins in 101 Tests. He went past the previous record of Ricky Ponting, who won 48 out of 77 Tests. Smith is also two wins away from drawing level with Ponting as the captain with the most wins in home Tests (29).

South Africa's win is their eighth in the last ten Tests in Cape Town. Of the 26 Tests they have played at the venue since their readmission in 1991, they have lost just three (all against Australia). Of the nine series played between South Africa and Pakistan, South Africa have won six. Their only series loss against Pakistan came in 2003-04 in Pakistan. South Africa have won their last six series (three home and three away). Their last series defeat came at home against Australia in 2009. The last time South Africa had a winning streak of six series came between the home series against India in 2006-07 and the tour of Bangladesh in 2007-08.

For only the sixth time since their readmission in 1991, South Africa won a home Test despite conceding the lead in the first innings. Click here for a list of matches when South Africa have batted first and here for a list of matches when South Africa have batted second. Three of these wins have come in Tests played in Cape Town.

Saeed Ajmal's 10 for 147 is his third ten-wicket haul in Tests and first against South Africa. It is also the second-best match bowling performance by a Pakistan bowler against South Africa. Ajmal has now picked up two ten-wicket hauls in Test defeats. The last Pakistan bowler to pick up a ten-wicket match haul in a loss is Wasim Akram in 2000. Akram is also the only bowler to pick up more ten-wicket match hauls (3) in Test defeats. Ajmal's match bowling performance is the fourth-best by a visiting bowler in Tests in South Africa since South Africa's readmission.

Vernon Philander's 9 for 99 is his third-best match bowling performance. He now has 87 wickets in 15 Tests at an average of 16.81 with nine five-fors. Philander's performance is the third-best match bowling performance by a South Africa bowler against Pakistan. Dale Steyn is on top with 11 for 60 in the first Test in Johannesburg.

The win is only the fourth by a margin of four or fewer wickets for South Africa in home Tests since their readmission. Their narrowest margin of victory (in terms of wickets) came against Sri Lanka in Centurion in 2002. The innings run-rate of 4.21 is the third-highest for South Africa in the fourth innings in matches since their readmission (min 40 overs played).

From a score of 147 for 4, Pakistan lost their last six wickets for just 22 runs. There have been only two previous occasions when Pakistan have lost their last five wickets for fewer runs.

Graeme Smith Saeed Ajmal Pakistan South Africa South Africa vs Pakistan Pakistan tour of South Africa Newlands

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan is a sub-editor (stats) at ESPNcricinfo