HARJAH: AB de Villiers stormed to an unbeaten century to help South Africa beat Pakistan convincingly by 117 runs in the fifth and final one-dayer in Sharjah on Monday, winning the five-match series 4-1.
De Villiers scored 115 from 102 balls with 10 fours and three sixes – his 15th one-day hundred – to lift South Africa to an imperious 268/7 before bowling Pakistan out for 151 in 35.3 overs.
Sohaib Maqsood top-scored with a solid 53 but otherwise Pakistan failed to capitalise on a weakened South African bowling attack, with spearheads Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, and spinner Imran Tahir rested for the meaningless match as the series had already been decided.
Pakistan were 8-2 with Ahmed Shehzad (two) and Mohammad Hafeez (six) by the fifth over, once again highlighting their top-order failure in the series.
It was Maqsood, who hit 56 on his debut in Abu Dhabi on Friday, who gave some consolation to another lackluster batting effort with a 63-ball half-century before he became one of two victims for Jean-Paul Duminy, who finished with 2-14. Wayne Parnell finished with 3-36. (AFP)
Brief scores:
SA: 268/7, 50 overs (AB de Villiers 115*; S Ajmal 3-45, Junaid 2-57)
Pak: 151 all out, 35.3 overs (S Maqsood 53; W Parnell 3-36, JP Duminy 2-14, R McLaren 2-21, V Philander 2-23)