Pakistan overcame a late South African fightback to win the first one-day international by two wickets in a tense last over finish in Faisalabad on Tuesday. <\/p>\n
The home team were cruising towards victory at 241-4, chasing a 264-run target, until South Africa grabbed four wickets for just 22 runs to set up a tense finish at Iqbal Stadium.<\/p>\n
Pakistan entered the last over needing four runs with three wickets standing but lost Mohammad Nawaz off the third ball with the scores tied.<\/p>\n
Tail-ender Naseem Shah took a sharp single off the next\u00a0ball to give Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, with the final two matches on Thursday and Saturday, also in Faisalabad which was hosting its first international cricket in 17 years.<\/p>\n
“That always happens in cricket but we’ll try to make it not happen again,” said Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi.<\/p>\n
“It was a special occasion of cricket returning to Faisalabad so we are happy that we won.”<\/p>\n
Pakistan had bowled out South Africa for 263 in 49.1 overs despite half-centuries from openers Quinton de Kock\u00a0and teenager Lhuan-dre Pretorius.<\/p>\n
“I think we were 20-30 runs short,” said Matthew Breetzke, who was leading the team for the first time. “We lost wickets in clusters but still there are a lot of positives.”<\/p>\n
Opener Fakhar Zaman, who scored 45 with two sixes and four boundaries, and Saim Ayub, whose 39 included four fours and a six,\u00a0gave Pakistan a solid start of 87.<\/p>\n
A packed 16,000 crowd welcomed the return of international cricket to the Iqbal Stadium but were left disappointed when their favourite Babar Azam then fell for just seven.<\/p>\n
Salman Agha hit a 71-ball 62 and added 91 for the fourth wicket with Mohammad Rizwan, sacked as ODI skipper and replaced by Shaheen Shah Afridi last month, who scored 74-ball 55.<\/p>\n
Rizwan’s fall in the 39th over raised South Africa’s hopes.<\/p>\n
Before the match, South Africa’s aggressive batter Dewald Brevis was ruled out of the series with a shoulder injury, further depleting the side already missing key players who are either injured or being rested.<\/p>\n
De Kock capped his return to ODIs after a two-year gap with a knock of 63 and 19-year-old Pretorius scored 57 from 60 balls on his ODI debut in an opening stand of 98 after the tourists were sent in to bat.<\/p>\n
Pakistan slowed South Africa as spinner Ayub, who finished with 2-39, dismissed Pretorius and Tony de Zorzi for 18.<\/p>\n
Pace bowler Shah, who took 3-40, further jolted the visitors with the wickets of De Kock and George Linde.<\/p>\n
Breetzke\u00a0revived the innings with 42 off 54 balls before he holed out to long-off as spinner Abrar Ahmed collected 3-53.<\/p>\n
South Africa lost their last six wickets for 61 runs giving Pakistan the chance to go one up.<\/p>\n
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