South Africa’s cricket team defeated Pakistan on the fourth day of the second Test and completed the series with a 2-0 victory, securing the top spot in the World Test Championship standings.
After starting 421 runs behind in their second innings, Pakistan showed resistance and managed to level the score. South Africa, however, set a target of 58 runs in the final session of the day.
They comfortably chased down the target, with former Durham player David Bedingham finishing the match with 44 runs off 30 balls. Ryan Rickelton top-scored with 259 runs, and South Africa reached a total of 615 runs.
Shan Masood’s 145 runs and Babar Azam’s 81 runs helped Pakistan make progress, but Kagiso Rabada (3-115) and Keshav Maharaj (3-137) continued to break Pakistan’s resistance, dismissing Muhammad Rizwan (41), Salman Ali Agha (48), and Aamer Jamal (34).
As a result, South Africa will face Australia in the World Test Championship final in June.
South African bowler Rabada spoke after the match: “South Africa against Australia has always been an intense rivalry because we play cricket quite similarly – we play hard. They’re going to come hard, we know that, but we also know how to beat them.”
South Africa has remained unbeaten since their Test series loss to New Zealand in February last year. Since then, they have won series against the West Indies, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.
Second Test, day four, Cape Town
South Africa 615 (Rickelton 259) & 58-0 (Bedingham 44*)
Pakistan 194 (Azam 58) & 478 (Masood 145)
South Africa won by 10 wickets