Pakistan crumbles in the face of South Africa’s pacemen on second day of first test

By Tristan Holme

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — South Africa spearhead Dale Steyn produced the remarkable figures of 6-8 on Saturday as Pakistan collapsed and was routed for 49 on the second day of the first test at the Wanderers.

Steyn’s bowling figures represented the third cheapest six-wicket haul in the history of the five-day game, and his performance gave South Africa a 204-run lead in the first innings.

Having claimed the first three Pakistani wickets in his first two overs of the day, Steyn returned after lunch to claim the last three without conceding a further run.

Jermaine Lawson of the West Indies, who took 6-3 against Bangladesh in 2002, is the only bowler to claim a cheaper six-wicket haul than Steyn in the last 89 years of test cricket.

With the match barely into its fifth session, South Africa captain Graeme Smith opted not to enforce the follow-on, and instead looked to add to the home side’s considerable lead.

Pakistan had suggested on Friday that it would present a challenge to the world’s best test side as South Africa was bowled out for 253. However, that notion disappeared quickly as Pakistan crumbled from six without loss to 40-7 by the lunch break.

Steyn was the man who turned the tide when he had Pakistan opener Mohammad Hafeez caught behind in the second over of the day, then dismissed both Nasir Jamshed and Younis Khan in the fourth.

Misbah-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali dug in for Pakistan and saw out 13 testing overs, before Kallis produced a brutal bouncer which caught Ali’s glove on its way through to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers.

That opened the floodgates, and Kallis found the edge of Misbah’s bat in his next over, but needed a review after the batsman was initially given not out by umpire Billy Bowden.

Vernon Philander took over from there, having Asad Shafiq and Umar Gul caught by the wicketkeeper and first slip respectively.

Sarfraz Ahmed and Saeed Ajmal were unbeaten at the lunch break, but not for much longer as Steyn had them both caught behind by De Villiers in his first two overs after the interval.

The top-ranked bowler in the world then added his sixth scalp in his next over, as Rahat Ali’s dismissal marked the end of a woeful Pakistani innings in which Azhar Ali’s 13 was the top score.

07:22ET 02-02-13