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Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq hit 92 not out to dampen the celebrations of Makhaya Ntini, who took his 300th wicket for South Africa in the second Test here on Saturday.

South Africa were 115 for three in their second innings at the close of the second day, a deficit of 26 runs. Pakistan were dismissed for 265 in their first innings in reply to South Africa’s 124.

Ntini, who went into the match with 295 victims and took four wickets on Friday, reached his milestone in the eighth over of the day when he had Mohammad Sami caught behind by wicket-keeper Mark Boucher for 10.

Ntini celebrated by lifting his playing shirt to reveal a T-shirt which said ‘Mdingi Express 300’.

Ntini, from the Eastern Cape village of Mdingi, became the third South African to take 300 Test wickets after the retired Allan Donald and team-mate Shaun Pollock.

He ended the innings with six for 59.

Pakistan slipped to 191 for nine after fast bowler Jacques Kallis had Shoaib Akhtar caught by Boucher for four and medium pacer Pollock had Danish Kaneria caught by Herschelle Gibbs in the gully for one.

But South Africa’s progress was held up by Pakistan captain Inzamam, who hit 13 fours in his unbeaten 92 and shared a 10th-wicket partnership of 74 with Mohammad Asif, who scored seven.

South Africa squandered a difficult chance to dismiss Inzamam for 35 with the total on 195 for nine. Inzamam edged a pull shot off Kallis and Boucher leapt high but failed to hold the catch.

South Africa, 141 behind on the first innings, stumbled to18 for one in the fifth over before tea when Graeme Smith, who scored 10, edged a delivery from fast bowler Asif to first slip for Inzamam to take a diving catch. Asif struck again to bowl AB de Villiers for 15, and South Africa were 61 for three when Sami uprooted Hashim Amla’s middle stump for 16.

Kallis and Ashwell Prince steadied the innings with a stand of 54 for the unbroken fourth wicket. Kallis was 50 not out with Prince on 21.

Pakistan were hampered by the absence from their attack of fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who returned from almost a year in the wilderness to take four for 36 in the first innings.

Shoaib did not take the field in South Africa’s second innings because of a hamstring strain. South Africa won the first Test by seven wickets.

Scoreboard

South Africa won toss

South Africa 1st inns 124 (Shoaib Akhtar 4-36)

Pakistan 1st inns (overnight 135-6)

Mohammad Hafeez c Amla b Ntini 13

Imran Farhat c de Villiers b Ntini 0

Younis Khan c Gibbs b Ntini 45

Yasir Hameed c de Villiers b Ntini 2

Mohammad Yousuf lbw b Pollock 32

†Kamran Akmal c Prince b Nel 33

Mohammad Sami c Boucher b Ntini 10

*Inzamam-ul-Haq not out 92

Shoaib Akhtar c Boucher b Kallis 4

Danish Kaneria c Gibbs b Pollock 1

Mohammad Asif b Ntini 7

Extras (b4, lb11, w5, nb1, pen5) 26

Total (all out, 76 overs) 265

Fall: 1-0, 2-17, 3-19, 4-79, 5-135, 6-135, 7-166, 8-184, 9-191

Bowling: Nel 23-2-68-1 (4w); Ntini 21-6-59-6 (1nb, 1w); Kallis 13-0-56-1; Pollock 14-2-42-2; Harris 5-1-20-0

South Africa 2nd inns

*G C Smith c Inzamam b Asif 10

A B de Villiers b Asif 15

H M Amla b Sami 16

J H Kallis not out 50

A G Prince not out 21

Extras (nb3) 3

Total (3 wkts, 52 overs) 115

To bat: H H Gibbs, †M V Boucher, S M Pollock, P L Harris, A Nel, M Ntini

Fall: 1-18, 2-30, 3-61

Bowling: Mohammad Asif 16-6-32-2; Mohammad Sami 12-4-31-1 (3nb); Danish Kaneria 19-6-35-0; Imran Farhat 5-0-17-0

Series: South Africa lead the 3-match series 1-0

Umpires: B R Doctrove (West Indies) and P D Parker (Australia). TV umpire: R E Koertzen. Match referee: B C Broad (England)

First Test match: January 11-15 Centurion, South Africa won by 7 wickets

Third & final Test: January 26-30 Cape Town
Source:The News