De Villiers hits SA Test record
Proteas batsman steers his team to dominant lead in final Test again Pakistan.
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| Pakistani bowler Abdur Rehman fails to stop an AB de Villiers strike [AFP] |
AB de Villiers set a career-best record-breaking 278 to place South Africa in control on day two of the second and final Test against Pakistan at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
De Villiers passed Graeme Smith’s landmark of 277 against England in Birmingham in 2003, with captain Smith declaring their first innings closed on 584 for nine shortly afterwards. The last five batsmen added 316 runs on a flat pitch that offered no assistance to the ineffective Pakistan bowling attack.
In reply, Pakistan lost an early wicket in Mohammad Hafeez, and Taufeeq Umar (16) and Azhar Ali (34) then took Pakistan to 59 for one before bad light stopped play and stumps were drawn with seven overs remaining in the day.
Debut performance
A six-wicket haul by Tanveer Ahmed was the lone bright spot for Pakistan.
| Second day scorecard |
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South Africa first innings Pakistan first innings |
He became the tenth Pakistani to take five wickets in an innings on debut when he dismissed de Villiers’ overnight partner Mark Boucher but South Africa continued to pile on the runs.
The last pair of de Villiers and Morne Morkel alone added an unbeaten 107 runs by the time they declared two overs after tea.
De Villiers did not waste any time after he reached his double century with two boundaries off Umar Gul. He came back after tea to hit a six and four in the first over of Abdur Rehman to overtake Graeme Smith’s previous highest score.
Earlier, South Africa had begun the second day on 311 for five, Boucher (45) was the first to start scoring freely when Ahmed got one to nip back in sharply.
Johan Botha fell just before the lunch break after he was bowled by left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman for 12.
Dale Steyn smashed his way to 27 before he was caught at long-on for Rehman’s second. Ahmed rounded off his tally with Paul Harris (19) before the last pair dug in.
Steyn got Hafeez trapped leg before with the third ball of the innings but the second wicket pair put on 57 runs when the light forced an early close.
The first Test in the two-match series was drawn in Dubai last week.