SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates: AB de Villiers stormed to an unbeaten century to help South Africa beat Pakistan convincingly by 117 runs in the fifth and final one-dayer in Sharjah yesterday, winning the five-match series 4-1.
De Villiers scored 115 from 102 balls with ten boundaries and three sixes -- his 15th one-day hundred -- to lift South Africa to an imperious 268-7 before bowling Pakistan out for 151 in
35.3 overs.
Sohaib Maqsood top-scored with a solid 53 but otherwise Pakistan failed to capitalise on a weakened South African bowling attack, with spearheads Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, and spinner Imran Tahir rested for the meaningless match as the series had already been decided.
De Villiers said it was satisfying to win the series after the team’s 4-1 loss in Sri Lanka in July.
“It is satisfying to win the series and I think the players played exceptionally well throughout the series and played as a unit,” said De Villiers.
“It was tough to bat on this pitch but I hung on and we were thinking of 220-plus, but in the end we got a good total.”
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq rued another batting failure.
“I think they played very well,” said Misbah. “They deserved this win and it was the same old batting collapse. We have to seriously think about this.”
Pakistan were 8-2 with Ahmed Shehzad (two) and Mohammad Hafeez (six) by the fifth over, once again highlighting their top-order failure in the series.
It was Maqsood, who hit 56 on his debut in Abu Dhabi on Friday, who gave some consolation to another lackluster batting effort with a 63-ball half-century before he became one of two victims for Jean-Paul Duminy, who finished with 2-14. Wayne Parnell finished with 3-36.
Umar Akmal made 30 while Misbah managed 18. Shahid Afridi (nine) and Umar Amin (five) failed once more as South Africa took the last six wickets for a mere 41 runs.
South Africa won the toss and batted on a slow Sharjah stadium pitch.
De Villiers lifted the tempo in the final overs, hitting Sohail Tanvir’s final over for 25 runs, reaching his hundred with a four towards mid-wicket, which came off 99 balls.
He then hit the left-armer for six, four and four to help South Africa add 114 in the last ten overs.
At 105 he also completed 6,000 one-day runs, becoming the fifth South African batsmen to reach the milestone.
De Villiers reached his fifty off 70 balls. AFP
