LAHORE, Feb 11: Wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan smashed a maiden T20 century with seven sixes as Pakistan beat South Africa by three runs in the first Twenty20 international on Thursday.
Rizwan’s unbeaten 104 off 64 balls anchored the home team to 169-6 after Heinrich Klaasen won the toss and elected to field.
In the process, Rizwan became only the second Pakistani to score a hundred in all three formats.
An inexperienced South Africa, without its frontline T20 regulars including skipper Quinton de Kock, put up a hard fight with Reeza Hendricks making 54 and Janneman Malan making 44 off 29 balls before being restricted at 166-6.
Qadir (2-21) picked up both his wickets in his first two overs, including Malan getting bowled off a googly, and Rizwan ran out Hendricks in the 18th over to make things difficult for the lower order.
Needing 19 off the last over, Bjorn Fortuin (17 not out) and Dwaine Pretorius (15 not out) brought down the target to 6 off the last ball but Faheem Ashraf conceded just two runs to give Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Earlier, Rizwan carried his test form into the shortest format and dominated both pace and leftarm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.
Rizwan scored a century at Rawalpindi last Sunday as Pakistan beat South Africa by 95 runs to clinch the series 2-0. He continued his sublime form despite Pakistan having an early setback when Babar was splendidly run out by leftarm spinner Fortuin in the first over. (AP)
