First Test, Dubai (day four, stumps):
South Africa 380 & 318-2 dec v Pakistan 248 & 109-2
Match scorecard
 Amla (left) congratulates Kallis on his 36th Test century |
Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla helped themselves to centuries as South Africa tightened their grip on the first Test against Pakistan in Dubai. Kallis made 135 not out, his 36th Test hundred, and Amla an unbeaten 118 as they put on 242 to enable their side to declare on 318-2 on day four. It left Pakistan to chase a target of 451 and both openers were caught in the slips before the close of play. They ended on 109-2 with Azhar Ali on 37 and ex-skipper Younus Khan on 11. Having fallen short of three figures in the first innings - Amla making 80 and Kallis 73 - South Africa's overnight pair were not in the mood to waste their opportunity against a Pakistan attack with only one front-line paceman because of Wahab Riaz's side injury.  | 606: DEBATE |
In fact, the bulk of the bowling was done by spinners Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal, but they were unable to make much of an impression as the two batsmen stretched the lead, setting a new third-wicket record for South Africa against Pakistan in the process. It eventually became a question of which of them would complete a hundred first and Amla won the race, reaching three figures off 190 balls with the help of 10 boundaries. Kallis followed suit by tucking a single off his hip soon after, an innings which was typically watchful but also saw him launch four sixes over the boundary rope. Captain Graeme Smith called a halt in time for Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel to have eight overs with the new ball before tea.  Azhar Ali receives treatment from the physio after being struck on the hand |
Hafeez and Taufiq survived, however, and the score reached 41 before Steyn found the edge of Hafeez's bat and Johan Botha made no mistake at first slip. It was then off-spinner Botha's turn with the ball and he found enough purchase to take the edge of the left-handed Taufiq's bat and Kallis swooped to his left to take his 160th Test catch. At 75-2, Pakistan could have crumbled, but Azhar shrugged off a painful blow on the thumb from Steyn to see it through to stumps with Younus and give them hope of at least hanging on to avoid defeat on the final day, with victory an unlikely possibility. "Cricket is a funny game. It is a game of uncertainties. You never know what will happen," said Pakistan coach Waqar Younis. "Realistically it's very hard to win from here. But if we can even pull a draw from here, it's very much like winning the Test match."
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