DURBAN, March 1: Mushtaq Ahmad produced a dazzling display of leg-spin bowling to take Pakistan to the brink of victory on the fourth day of the second Test against South Africa today.Mushtaq took six for 66 as South Africa, chasing 255 for victory, collapsed to 186 for eight.
The diminutive leg-spinner was denied the opportunity to finish off the home side by a gritty unbeaten ninth wicket stand of 53 between wicketkeeper Mark boucher (36) and veteran fast bowler Fanie de Villiers (26).
They took South Africa to 186 for eight at the close, still 69 short of the target.
Pakistan's second innings had ended within eight deliveries and four runs of the start of the play as they were all out for 226.
But it was the 27-yera-old Mushtaq who turned the match significantly in Pakistan's favour after the lunch break when he took four wickets in the afternoon session.
SCOREBOARD
Pakistan (1st innings): 259
South Africa (1st innings): 231
Pakistan (2nd innings; overnight222-8): Saeed Anwar lbw Pollock 118, Aamir Sohail c Boucher b Donald 36, Ijaz Ahmed b de Villiers 24, Mohammad Wasim run out 5, Yousuf Youhanna c Boucher b Pollock 1, Moin Khan lbw Pollock 5, Azhar Mahmood c Boucher b Pollock 1, Mushtaq Ahmed run out 20, Waqar Younis c Klusener b Pollock 0, Shoaib Akhtar not out 1, Fazl-e-Akbar c Klusener b Pollock 0; Extras (w2, nb6, lb7): 15.
Total (all out in 79.3 overs): 226
Fall of wickets: 1-101, 2-159, 3-164, 4-182, 5-198, 6-203, 7-212, 8-220, 9-226
Bowling: de Villiers 16-1-51-1, Donald 10-2-20-1, Pollock 22.3-6-50-6, Klusener 9-1-32-0, Cronje 5-0-20-0, Kallis 17-1-46-0
South Africa (2nd innings): G Kirsten c sub (Rashid Latif) b Mushtaq 25, A Bacher lbw b Akbar 0, J Kallis c Moin b Mushtaq 22, H Ackerman lbw b Mushtaq 11, A Hudson c Akbar b Mushtaq 8, H Cronje c Moin b Younis 11, S Pollock st Moin b Mushtaq 30, M Boucher batting 36, L Klusener lbw b Mushtaq 2, de Villiers batting 26; Extras (nb3 lb12): 15. Total (for eight wickets)186
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-42, 3-49, 4-76 5-79 6-114, 7-120, 8-133
Bowling: Younis 13-1-42-1 (nb3), Akbar 5-2-16-1, Akhtar 9-0-14-0, Mushtaq 35-13-66-6, Mahmood 11-4-12-0, Sohail 7-1-24-0
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
