South Africa clinched the Cool & Cool Cup with another emphatic six-wicket victory in the second Twenty20 international against Pakistan to sweep the series 2-0 at Zayed Cricket Stadium on Wednesday night.
Chasing a target of 121, South Africa were home with eight balls to spare after opener Graeme Smith struck 38 off 42 balls with four boundaries and Colin Ingram smashed 31 off just 17 balls with four boundaries and a six.
Jean Paul Duminy finished off in style hoisting Umar Gul over midwicket to remain unbeaten on 22 after Ingram departed with victory in sight having added 41 runs for the fourth wicket in 3.3 overs.
Duminy hit off spinner Saeed Ajmal for a six earlier while Ingram thumped a six and two fours in the 17th over bowled by Shoaib Akhtar which went for 18 runs and the wicket of Ingram.
Earlier, South African pacer Rusty Theron returned career best figures of four for 27, including three in the last four balls of the innings, as Pakistan were restricted to 120 for nine.
Pakistan’s batting imploded for the second successive day losing half their side with just 41 runs on the board by the eighth over before Misbah ul Haq came to their rescue once again with a battling knock of 33 off 38 balls.
Misbah was associated in two crucial partnerships with Abdul Razzaq (25) and Zulqarnain Haider (17) to bring some respectability to their total although passing the three-figure mark in the 18th over.
Razzaq added 45 runs in 7.4 overs for the sixth wicket slamming two sixes in his 29-ball innings while Haider figured in a 35-run alliance for the seventh wicket with Misbah before being last man out.
Misbah hit two fours and a six before dismissed the third ball of the dramatic last over in which Theron yorked Umar Gul with his next delivery. Saeed Ajmal denied him a hat-trick but Theron uprooted Haider’s off stump with his final ball.
Left arm pacer Lonwabo Tsotsobe struck twice in his opening spell and the Morkel brothers Albie and Morne grabbed one apiece as Pakistan got off to the worst possible start.
South Africa skipper Johan Botha who choked the batsmen in the middle overs with a tantalising spell of spin bowling, ran back from mid wicket to dismiss opener Shahzaib Hassan in the second over.
Mohammad Hafeez dragged Morne’s second delivery onto his stumps while Imran Farhat was castled by Tsotsobe as Pakistan stuttered to 29 for three.
Umar Akmal was run out going for a second run which was not there while skipper Shahid Afridi lasted just three balls before holing Theron’s second delivery to Graeme Smith at deep cover.
Both teams named unchanged sides which played in the opening match on Tuesday.
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