The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : S.Africa takes commanding lead

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S.Africa takes commanding lead

A day to remember for Boucher; maiden five-wicket haul by Harris

Smith and Gibbs put on 41 runs for the first wicket
Boucher’s stumping of Umar Gul was his 396th dismissal

KARACHI: South Africa took a commanding first innings lead over Pakistan on Wednesday as Mark Boucher broke the world record for wicketkeeping dismissals on the third day of the first cricket Test, here.

South Africa established a 159-run lead on the first innings, and while Pakistan’s spinners struck early in South Africa’s second innings on a dicey wicket, South Africa finished the day at 76 for three for an overall lead of 235 runs.

First innings century-maker Jacques Kallis finished the day unbeaten on a patient 18 while Ashwell Prince was batting on 11.

Quick strikes

Captain Graeme Smith (25) and Herschelle Gibbs (18) put on 41 runs for the first wicket before rookie Abdul Rehman (two for 25) and Danish Kaneria (one for 18) struck in rapid succession.

Rehman had Smith caught behind, then Hashim Amla was stumped for a duck, with replays showing his foot was slightly in the air when wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal dislodged the bails.

Later Gibbs (18) was caught close to the wicket off a mistimed sweep.

In Pakistan’s first innings, Boucher’s stumping of Umar Gul was his 396th dismissal (378 catches, 18 stumpings) in his 103rd Test match, surpassing Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy’s tally of 395 dismissals (366 catches, 29 stumpings).

Crucial partnership

Resuming at the overnight score of 127 for five, Pakistan lost Rehman (9) in the morning session, caught behind off paceman Andre Nel, before captain Shoaib Malik (73) and a recovered Salman Butt combined for an 84-run stand for the seventh wicket.

Butt had recovered from abdominal pains that prevented him from opening Pakistan’s first innings on Tuesday and forced him to be in hospital for around 11 hours.

Malik and Butt (24) dug in for two hours before both fell in the second session to left-arm spinner Paul Harris (five for 73), who took his first five-wicket haul in Test matches.

Wild shot

Butt played a reckless cross-batted shot off his back foot and was trapped lbw.

Malik ran out of patience and was stumped after facing 170 balls in his three and a half hour knock. Malik, captain for the first time in Tests, also reached 1,000 Test runs in his 19th Test with a straight six off Harris.

Pakistan needed a further 13 runs to avoid the follow-on when Malik departed, but Kaneria and Gul took Pakistan past the follow-on mark.

Kaneria (26 not out) and Mohammad Asif (10) then put up a strong resistance, adding 32 for the last wicket. — AP

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