Pakistan clinched a four-wicket victory over South Africa in the third and final T20I with eight balls to spare at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday to clinch the series 2-1.
South Africa were all at sea and despite heroics from David Miller, who scored an unbeaten 85, and Tabraiz Shamsi’s career-best of 4-25, Pakistan were too good for the visitors as Hasan Ali and Mohammad Nawaz clubbed 20 runs off the penultimate over, bowled by Andile Phehlukwayo (2.4-0-37-0), to clinch the game and the series with some space to spare.
Babar Azam had won the toss and had asked Heinrich Klaasen’s men to bat first. South Africa had slumped to 48 for six and 67 for seven before Miller’s exploits pushed the South African effort to a respectable 164 for eight.
Miller clubbed five boundaries and seven sixes, four of which came in the final over of the innings, bowled by Faheem Ashraf (3-0-38-0), in his 45-ball innings after the entire South African batting order had been caught like a deer in the headlights.
In reply, Shamsi had bamboozled the Pakistan top-order to leave South Africa with hope of clinching a victory from the jaws of defeat but a lack of support proved the difference as Pakistan reached 169 for six with still eight balls remaining in the match.
The only support Miller received in the South African effort was from opener Janneman Malan. The Cobras man struck three fours and a six from 17 balls before being trapped leg before from debutant legspinner, Zihad Mahmood (4-0-40-3).
For Pakistan, Mohammad Rizwan, who scored a century and a fifty in the first two games, along with new partner Haider Ali (15), gave the home side a good start with an opening stand of 51 from just 37 balls.