Cricket
Pakistan on top in East London
2013-01-27 19:03
East London - Pakistan continued the solid start to their two-month tour, taking a commanding 312-run lead at stumps on the penultimate day of their four-day clash against a South African Invitation XI in East London on Sunday.
The tourists dismissed the South Africans for 257 runs in the morning session and built on their advantage as they raced to 240/5 in their second innings at the close, heading into the final day.
Opening batsmen Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed both repeated their half-century contributions in the first innings with a 142-run stand for the first wicket.
Hafeez hit 83 off 109 balls before Stiaan van Zyl had him caught behind, while Jamshed was more patient, spending nearly three hours at the crease for his 51 off 122 deliveries. He was eventually removed by Kyle Abbott.
Five of the six bowlers who took the ball - Abbott, Van Zyl, Simon Harmer, Wayne Parnell and Vaughn van Jaarsveld - bagged a wicket each as the South African attack toiled away, while wicketkeeper Dane Vilas was involved in four of the five scalps.
Veteran Misbah-ul-Haq, holding up the middle order, was unbeaten on 51 - his 68th first-class half-century - and Sarfraz Ahmed was on 19 not out when stumps were drawn.
Earlier, the SA Invitation side's tail had been crushed by a dual effort from spinner Saeed Ajmal, who returned 3/66, and left-arm seamer Junaid Khan, who took 3/76.
Vilas produced a defiant, unbeaten knock of 62, though he received little assistance from the lower order.