South Africa Win

Shahid Afridi's brilliant 88 off 48 balls went in vain as Pakistan fell short of South Africa's mammoth total of 343 by 34 runs in the third one-day international at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday. 
A high-scoring encounter with South Africa winning it and taking a 2-1 lead. Pakistan's batsmen got starts but weren't able to push on. Afridi threatened to take the game away from South Africa but by the time he began imposing his presence. 
Pakistan, who were bowled out for 309 to slip 2-1 down in the series, had been in deep trouble when Afridi walked in at 132 for five but he gave his side hope as he thrashed 88 off 48 balls with seven sixes and five fours.
Afridi's innings included some of the biggest sixes seen at the Wanderers.
One, after he had been bowled off a no-ball, was a mighty hit onto the roof of the four-tier Centenary stand which was last seen bouncing towards an adjacent golf course.
Afridi was yorked by Ryan McLaren when he had 73 but a check requested by umpire Billy Bowden showed the bowler had over-stepped.
McLaren then bowled a wide, which meant Afridi still had a free hit to which he committed all his power.
There was one more six before he hit a full toss from Lonwabo Tsotsobe to McLaren at long-off.
There was still a possibility of a reprieve as the umpires checked whether the full toss was above waist height, which would have meant another no-ball, before confirming the dismissal. 
Earlier, Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers shared a world record third wicket partnership as South Africa recovered from a slow start to post an imposing total.
Amla hit 122 with De Villiers eclipsing him on 128 as they managed 238 as a pairing before the hosts finished on 343 for five after being sent in.
South Africa struggled early on, with left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Irfan taking two early wickets as Pakistan's fast bowlers exploited some early life in the pitch.
The first two overs, by Junaid Khan and Irfan, were maidens before Irfan bowled Graeme Smith with the total on four.
Amla and Colin Ingram put on 38 for the second wicket but the stand took 65 balls before Irfan produced a vicious lifter which Ingram could only fend to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.
However, the momentum swung when De Villiers joined Amla at the crease.
Their record stand beat by one run the previous one-day international third wicket mark set by Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar for India against Kenya in 1999.
That ensured Pakistan would have a challenging run chase on a ground renowned for high scoring.
De Villiers was quickly into his stride and the pair posted a fifty partnership off just 38 balls.
The rate slowed slightly when Pakistan brought their spin bowlers into action and after 35 overs South Africa were on 115 but that was when the torrent began as the last 15 overs yielded 156 runs.
Amla reached his 11th one-day international century off 99 balls, while De Villiers earned his 14th century in the format off 87 deliveries.
Amla was caught at cover for 122 off 113 balls with nine fours and a six and De Villiers was held at deep midwicket for 128 off 108 deliveries, with 12 fours and three sixes.
Pakistan were briefly reduced to ten men after Irfan, who had been a doubtful starter because of a hamstring strain, left the field for treatment.
He was replaced by Umar Akmal but after 20 minutes the umpires informed Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq that the maximum 20 minutes allowed for treatment had expired. Pakistan had a fielder short for two overs before Irfan returned.

Brief scores
South Africa 343 for 5 (Amla 122, de Villiers 128)
Pakistan 309 (Afridi 88, Hafeez 57, McLaren 3-56, Tsotsobe 3-74)
Result South Africa won by 34 runs
MOM :Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers (South Africa)

Irfan Leads Pakistan to Six-wicket Win

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Irfan took four wickets in a devastating opening spell to set up a six-wicket win in the second one-day international against South Africa on Friday.
Tall left-armer Irfan took a career-best four for 33 in seven overs as South Africa were bowled out for 191 in a match reduced to 44 overs a side.
Pakistan achieved victory with 4.4 overs to spare, captain Misbah-ul-Haq anchoring his side's chase, making 57 not out.
The win levelled the five-match series at 1-1 after South Africa had cruised to a 125-run win in Bloemfontein last weekend with the third game to be played in Johannesburg on Sunday.
South Africa crashed to 62 for five under Irfan's onslaught but recovered to reach 177 for seven after 38.4 overs when a violent thunderstorm struck the ground and caused a stoppage of almost two-and-a-half hours.
South Africa failed to see out the revised quota of 44 overs, losing their last three wickets for 12 runs to be bowled out with four balls to spare.
Farhaan Behardien led the South African fightback, making a measured 58 off 82 balls for his maiden international half-century.
Robin Peterson made 44 and helped Behardien put on 67 for the seventh wicket before Behardien was caught on the midwicket boundary one ball before the stoppage.
After Irfan had made his inroads, slow bowlers Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi kept the pressure on.
Ajmal took two for 23 and Hafeez two for 35, while Afridi conceded only 24 runs in eight overs.
Pakistan had a brief wobble when they slipped to 69 for three in the 15th over, with Hafeez and Kamran Akmal falling in successive overs.
But Misbah and Younis Khan, the side's most experienced players, steadied the innings with a fourth wicket partnership of 46 off 67 balls.
Shoaib Malik joined Misbah and they added an unbeaten 77 off 82 deliveries, with Malik contributing an aggressive 35 not out off 75 balls.
Misbah's 57 runs were made off 75 balls with three fours and three sixes.

Brief scores
South Africa 191 all out (Behardien 58, Peterson 44, Irfan 4-33)
Pakistan 192 for 4 (Misbah 57*, Malik 35*, Peterson 2-52)
Result Pakistan won by six wickets 
MOM Mohammad Irfan (Pakistan)

Hashim Amla

Hashim Amla completed his 19th Test ton and along with Faf du Plessis took SA to 293/4 on Day 1 of the 2nd Test at St. George's Park on Friday.
Faf du Plessis and Graeme Smith also compiled half-centuries.
du Plessis (69 not out) and Amla combined for an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 102.
Amla reached the at stump unbeaten on 106 while Smith notched his 36th Test half-century shortly after lunch before being dismissed eight balls later for 54 with seven fours.
Paceman Doug Bracewell, with figures of two for 70, was the pick of New Zealand's attack.
The elegant Amla brought a slice of luck when, on 48, he was dropped in the gully by Kane Williamson off the bowling of left-arm quick Trent Boult.
Amla and Smith combined for a second-wicket stand of 92 off 20.4 overs before Smith was caught down the legside by keeper BJ Watling off the bowling of left-arm seamer Neil Wagner to leave South Africa on 121 for two.
The hosts lost their third wicket 16 runs later when Jacques Kallis (8) edged a Bracewell delivery through to Watling.
But any hopes New Zealand might have harboured of making further quick inroads into a powerful batting line-up were dashed when AB de Villiers (51) and Amla added 86 for fourth-wicket partnership.
South Africa had won the toss and elected to bat on a slowish pitch which offered up just a touch of movement for the seam bowlers.
Smith and Alviro Peterson (21) put on a 29-run opening stand but the right-handed Peterson departed when he top-edged an attempted hook shot off the bowling of Bracewell and was caught by Jeetan Patel at fine leg before the hosts took lunch on 99 for one.
New Zealand included debutant all-rounder Colin Munro in their line up.

Brief scores
South Africa 325 for 4 (Amla 106*, du Plessis 69*, Smith 54)