Heinrich Klaasen’s explosive half-century propelled South Africa to an impressive total in the third match of the tri-nation ODI series against Pakistan at the National Bank Stadium on Wednesday.
Captain Temba Bavuma’s choice to bat first proved advantageous as the visitors amassed 352 runs for the loss of five wickets in their full quota of 50 overs.
The Proteas began their innings with a solid performance from the new opening partnership of Tony de Zorzi and Bavuma, who contributed 51 runs for the first wicket.
This opening partnership concluded on the final delivery of the eighth over when Shaheen Shah Afridi had de Zorzi caught at first slip.
The left-handed opener scored 21 runs off 18 balls, including three fours and a six.
Bavuma then partnered with the in-form Matthew Breetzke, and together they established a strong foundation for a substantial total, combining for a 119-run partnership for the second wicket.
This century-plus partnership ended when Bavuma was run out due to a direct hit from Saud Shakeel.
The South African captain hit 13 boundaries in his innings of 82 runs off 96 balls.
Breetzke then formed a 68-run partnership with Klaasen before being dismissed by Khushdil Shah in the 39th over.
He contributed 83 runs from 84 balls, featuring 10 fours and a six.
South Africa faced another setback when Afridi dismissed Wiaan Mulder for just two runs in the following over.
However, Klaasen remained undeterred by these setbacks, launching a late assault that propelled South Africa’s total beyond 300 runs.
The right-handed batsman ultimately fell in the 48th over, finishing as the top scorer for his team with 87 runs off 56 balls, which included 11 fours and three sixes.
Afridi was the standout bowler for Pakistan, claiming two wickets for 66 runs in his 10 overs, while Khushdil and Naseem Shah each took one wicket.
