South Africa qualify for Test Championship Final

Excellent batting from Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen clinched a two-wicket win for South Africa against Pakistan in the first Test, sealing their spot in the Test Championship Final. 

South Africa started the day on 27-3. 

Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma scored 35 before Mohammad Abbas turned the game around in Pakistan’s favour by ripping through the SA batting attack. He took 4-40 in the first session. 

Markram (37) was the first to go when an in-swinger kept low crashing into his stumps. 

At this point, South Africa wasn’t in trouble quite yet. They added another 34 runs until a bizarre dismissal flipped the game into the hosts’ favour. 

Bavuma (40) advanced down the track looking to hit Abbas over mid-wicket, but it seemed like he got a feint inside edge which sparked a passionate celebration from Pakistan. Bavuma walked when he should have reviewed it. The replay showed that there was no edge and it brushed his pocket. 

The wickets tumbled from there. Bedingham, Verreynne and Bosch nicked off balls they could have left. SA went from 62-4 to 99-8. 

Two of those wickets were down to Abbas and Verreynne was dismissed by Nadeem Shah. 

Jansen and Rabada survived until lunch, with South Africa needing 32 runs to win. 

Rabada and Jansen were absolutely superb. They played sensible cricket, hitting the bad balls and running smartly between the wickets. 

Rabada scored 31 (5 fours) and Jansen 16 (3 fours), a 51-run partnership to win the match by 2 wickets. 

South Africa has sealed their spot in the Test Championship Final with a Test in Newlands still to play in the new year.

Scorecard