South Africa thrashed Pakistan
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South Africa defeated Pakistan by 67 runs in their Group B match of the ICC Champions Trophy at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Monday.
Chasing 235 to win, Pakistan managed just 167, getting dismissed with five overs in their innings left to be bowled.
Both the sides needed to win the contest to remain in hunt for a semi-final berth.
Image: Chris Morris (C) of South Africa celebrates taking the wicket of Muhammad Hafeez of Pakistan with Hashim Amla (L) and Ryan McLaren (R) during the ICC Champions Trophy Group B match
Photographs: Michael Steele/Getty Images
Pakistan bowlers restricted South Africa
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Pakistan rode on intermittent strikes to restrict South Africa to 234 for nine.
Despite a splendid job by Pakistani pacers upfront, South African batsmen did succeed in getting good starts, however, they were guilty of not converting those into big knocks.
Pakistani pacemen were not unplayable but they did extract good bounce off the pitch to trouble the Proteas. Spinners Saeed Ajmal and Mahammed Hafeez too played a part in stifling the Proteas innings.
Image: Muhammad Irfan (3L) of Pakistan receives team mates congratulations after taking the wicket of Faf Du Plessis of South Africa
Photographs: Michael Steele/Getty Images
Amla top-scored with 81
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Prolific batsman Hashim Amla (81) crafted a superb half-century.
Amla, who has been scoring consistently for South Africa, was his usual composed self as he rotated the strike well and formed a good stand with Faf du Plessis after the side had lost opener Colin Ingram (20), who was trapped by Hafeez.
Amla and Plessis and added 69 runs for the second wicket, before the latter was dismissed. Amla too gifted his wicket on a extravagant shot, a reverse sweep, as he was batting confidently and hardly looked like troubled by any bowler.
His 81 came off 97 balls with nine shots to the fence.
Image: Hashim Amla
Photographs: Michael Steele/Getty Images
De Villiers made 31
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Faf du Plessis (28), skipper AB de Villiers (31) and JP Duminy (24) all departed after making small contributions.
Resultantly, South Africa did not have the kind of batsmen who could get some quick runs to give fillip to the innings towards the end.
Image: AB de Villiers of South Africa stears a shot fine during the ICC Champions Trophy Group B match against Pakistan
Photographs: Michael Steele/Getty Images
Morris made two early breakthroughs
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Defending a modest total, South Africa needed a good start with the ball.
And that precisely what Chris Morris provided.
In only his fifth ball, Morris got through the defence of Imran Farhat (2) and in his fourth over had Mohammad Hafeez (7) caught by David Miller.
Image: AB de Villiers (L) the captain of South Africa in discussion with Chris Morris (R)
Photographs: Michael Steele/Getty Images
McLaren picked up four wickets
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Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Ryan McLaren then took oer.
Tsotsobe finished with figures of two for 23, picking up the vital wickets of Nasir Jamshed (42) and Misbah-ul-Haq (55).
McLaren, meanwhile, emerged as the top wicket-taker in the innings with figures of four for 19, going through the the Pakistani tail and ending their innings by getting through the defence of Junaid Khan.
Image: AB de Villiers the captain of South Africa lifts Faf Du Plessis (R) off his feet after catching Kamran Akmal of Pakistan
Photographs: Michael Steele/Getty Images
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