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Bilawal Bhatti, Anwar Ali help Pakistan beat South Africa by 23 runs in 1st ODI

Bilawal Bhatti and Anwar Ali's all-round performances helped Pakistan defeate South Africa by 23 runs in the first One-Day International (ODI) at Cape Town on Sunday.

Bilawal Bhatti, Anwar Ali help Pakistan beat South Africa by 23 runs in 1st ODI

Anwar Ali was declared the man of the match for scoring an unbeaten 43 and picking up two wickets © AFP

Nov 24, 2013

Bilawal Bhatti and Anwar Ali‘s all-round performances helped Pakistan defeat South Africa by 23 runs in the first One-Day International (ODI) at Cape Town on Sunday.

Ali was declared the Man of the Match.

After putting up a solid batting performance, Bhatti picked up three wickets and Ali picked up 2 wickets to change the course of play. Ali’s strike in his second spell to remove a well-settled Jacques Kallis came at the perfect time.

Kallis scored a half-century while JP Duminy scored 49. However, South African batsmen struggled infront of Pakistan bowlers. Anwar Ali, who was unbeaten on 43, picked up two wickets.

Earlier, tailenders Bhatti and Ali defied a strong South African bowling attack to enable Pakistan to post 218 for nine.

Bhatti (39) and Anwar (43*) put on 74 for the eighth wicket after Pakistan’s recognised batsmen struggled against a strong South African pace attack.

For the first time since South Africa began their rise to the top of the Test rankings, the hosts fielded all three of their leading fast bowlers – Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel – in the same one-day side.

With Jacques Kallis returning for his first one-day international since February 2012, South Africa applied relentless pressure as Pakistan struggled to 131 for seven in the 36th over. But Bhatti and Ali went for their shots to keep their side in the game on what looked a good batting pitch.

Steyn took three for 33 and Morkel three for 39, while Philander claimed one for 37.

Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad put on 49 for the first wicket but Steyn dismissed Jamshed in the 16th over and followed up with the wicket of Mohammad Hafeez, both caught in the slips.

Pakistan’s leading batsmen were unable to build any substantial partnerships and could not lift the scoring rate. They looked to be headed for a low total when Shahid Afridi was bowled by Steyn in the first over of the batting powerplay.

But Bhatti and Ali, both playing in their first one-day internationals, put on 74 off 70 balls. Bhatti made his 39 off 25 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes, while Ali hit six fours in a 55-ball innings.

(With inputs from AFP)

Brief scores:
 
Pakistan 218 for 9 in 50 overs (Bilawal Bhatti 39, Anwar Ali 43*; Dale Steyn 3 for 33; Morne Morkel 3 for 39) beat South Africa 195 in 48.1 overs (Jacques Kallis 50, JP Duminy 49; Bilawal Bhatti 3 for 28, Anwar Ali 2 for 24) by 23 runs.

Man of the Match: Anwar Ali
 
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