A nervy South Africa slumped to 27-3 when bad light brought play to an early close on a rain-delayed third day, still 121 runs shy of victory in the first test against Pakistan at Centurion and a place in next June’s World Test Championship.
The home side are chasing a modest target of 148 after bowling out Pakistan for 237 and if they win will be assured a place in the WTC final at Lord’s.
But Pakistan kept alive their own hopes of victory as they took three wickets in the opening nine overs of South Africa’s second innings with Mohammad Abbas taking two wickets and Khurram Shahzad the other as Tony de Zorzi (2), Ryan Rickleton (0) and Tristan Stubbs (1) were all trapped leg before wicket.
Aiden Markram, who top scored for the hosts in the first innings, will resume on 22 not out, alongside skipper Temba Bavuma, when play resumes on Sunday.
South Africa had a 90-run lead over the tourists after the opening innings and although the contest ebbed and flowed through the day, will have felt they had worked their way into a winning position before they came out to bat.
BRIGHT START
Marco Jansen finished with 6-52 to put the brakes on Pakistan’s hopes of a bigger second innings tally after Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam made a bright start to the day’s play, which was delayed until after lunch because of a passing rainstorm.
Shakeel top scored with 84, before being undone by a full toss from Jansen, but his dismissal was unlucky in contrast to a raft of injudicious shots that saw his teammates get out.
Babar moved briskly from 16 not out overnight to 50 — his first in his last 20 test innings — but was then tempted into swinging at a short and wide delivery in Jansen’s first over and caught by Corbin Bosch on the boundary.
Mohammad Rizwan then gave away his wicket cheaply while Salman Ali Agha drove at only the third ball he faced and edged behind.
Aamer Jamal was dismissed for 18 as he could not resist attempting to pull a short delivery from Dane Paterson and was caught by Rickelton.
Successive test wins over the West Indies, Bangladesh (2) and Sri Lanka (2) have left South Africa needing to win one of their two test series against Pakistan for a first-ever appearance in a WTC final.
The second test against Pakistan will be at Newlands in Cape Town, starting next Friday.
