Noman’s 10-for, Afridi’s reverse swing give Pakistan famous win over South Africa

Noman Ali claimed 10 wickets and Shaheen Afridi produced a late reverse swing burst as Pakistan defeated South Africa by 93 runs in Lahore to take a 1-0 lead in the series and end South Africa’s 10-Test unbeaten run

Lahore: Pakistan’s spin duo Noman Ali and Sajid Khan did the heavy lifting before Shaheen Shah Afridi applied the finishing touches, as the hosts wrapped up a 93-run victory over World Test Championship (WTC) winner South Africa on Day 4 of the first Test at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.

The win gave Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series, while ending South Africa’s record 10-match winning streak, their longest in Test cricket history.

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Defending a target of 276, Pakistan tightened the screws on a pitch that had become increasingly treacherous for batting. No team had ever chased such a total at the Gaddafi Stadium, and Pakistan’s spinners ensured it remained that way. Noman Ali, with subtle variations and unrelenting accuracy, picked up his third 10-wicket haul in Tests, while Afridi’s reverse-swing burst finished off the resistance.

South Africa’s hopes had briefly flickered through Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton, who battled in contrasting styles. Brevis counterattacked with a brisk 54 off 54 balls, striking six fours and two sixes — one a no-look hit over long-on to bring up his fifty. Rickelton, in contrast, dug in for a gritty 45 off 145 balls, anchoring the innings.

But both fell before lunch — Brevis bowled by Noman with a sharp-turning delivery, and Rickelton edging Sajid Khan to slip. South Africa, needing another 139 at the break with four wickets left, had already lost momentum.

Soon after lunch, Senuran Muthusamy was trapped lbw by Noman, and Pakistan’s spinners continued to frustrate the visitors. Though Kyle Verreynne and Simon Harmer managed to take South Africa past Pakistan’s second-innings score — the first such instance on these increasingly dry, spin-friendly surfaces — a comeback never looked likely.

The turning point came when Afridi, relatively quiet for much of the Test, was brought back with the old ball from around the wicket. He immediately found reverse swing, pinning Verreynne lbw with a searing inswinger. With rhythm and control back, Afridi rattled the tail — clean bowling Prenelan Subrayen and Kagiso Rabada with fast, full deliveries.

Earlier in the day, South Africa had resumed at 51/2 but quickly slumped to 55/4. Tony de Zorzi was bowled by Afridi’s third ball of the morning, while Tristan Stubbs fell attempting a reverse sweep off Noman — well caught at slip by Salman Agha, who claimed his fifth catch of the match.

Ultimately, Pakistan had laid the foundation with a strong first innings on Day 1. South Africa spent the rest of the match chasing the game. On a crumbling surface, Pakistan’s spin-led approach was simply too much to overcome.

Brief scores: Pakistan 378 & 167 all out in 46.1 overs (Babar Azam 42, Abdullah Shafique 41; Senuran Muthusamy 5-57, Simon Harmer 4-51)
South Africa 269 & 183 all out in 50.3 overs (Dewald Brevis 54, Ryan Rickelton 45; Shaheen Afridi 4-33, Noman Ali 4-79)
Result: Pakistan won by 93 runs
Series: Pakistan lead 1-0 (2-match series)