Abbas triggers catastrophic South Africa collapse before lunch

LunchSouth Africa 301 and 116 for 8 (Rabada 10*, Jansen 5*, Abbas 6-43, Naseem 1-22) trail Pakistan 211 and 237 by 31 runs

South Africa lost 5 for 37 on a frantic morning session at SuperSport Park, where Pakistan are two wickets away from securing their first Test win in the country in 17 years and in nine Tests. South Africa are 32 runs away from victory and from guaranteeing a place in the World Test Championship final but a spectacular collapse, largely at the hands of Mohammad Abbas could deny them.

On comeback after a three-year absence from the Test side, Abbas bowled a marathon 17-over spell from the Hennops River End and took a career-best 6 for 43. His morning figures read: 13-4-40-4, as he took out South Africa’s top and middle order with excellent disciplined and aggressive back-of-a-length bowling.

The most prized wicket was that of South Africa captain Temba Bavuma, who was well set on 40, when he was given out off what appeared to be the inside-edge and walked.

Replays showed Bavuma had not hit the ball and with all three reviews available to South Africa could have asked for a second opinion. Instead, Bavuma, who had received treatment on his elbow shortly before that, left the middle-order to finish the job. His dismissal triggered a collapse of four wickets for three runs, and has left the tail at the crease.

Chasing 148 on a surface where variable bounce is becoming more prominent, South Africa were in a precarious overnight position on 27 for 3. Bavuma got the first runs of the morning, and his first runs, off the fifth ball, off a Mohammad Abbas half-volley that he clipped through square leg. Abbas adjusted to back of a length and in his next over, thought he had found Bavuma’s edge. Mohammad Rizwan indicated the ball had brushed Bavuma’s thigh but Shah Masood reviewed anyway. Rizwan was proved right and Bavuma, on 5, could continue.

Aiden Markram looked slightly more in control but got a streaky boundary off the edge before Bavuma creamed Khurram Shahzad through mid-on to leave South Africa with 100 runs to get.

Off the next ball, Bavuma, on 13, was given out lbw to Shahzad but reviewed immediately. Replays showed an inside edge and Bavuma survived again.

South Africa scored just three runs off the next 27 balls before Bavuma released the pressure with a hook shot off Abbas that Naseem Shah thought he could get under. Naseem got hands under the ball but the momentum carried him over the boundary rope and not only did Bavuma get away with the shot he has fallen to several times this season but he got six for it.

To add insult to injury, Markram smashed the second ball of Naseem’s next over over extra cover for four. Fourteen dot balls followed before a Markam single took South Africa to the first drinks break with no damage done and 35 runs scored in the first hour.

Three balls after the interval, Markram was bowled by an Abbas delivery that kept low as he tried to jam his bat down and keep it out. That ended a 43-run fourth-wicket stand between Bavuma and Markram and brought David Bedingham, who has a top score of 35 this summer, to the crease.

He started with a wristy flick for four before Bavuma reeled off an exquisite cover drive but the eye-catching shots were followed by risky ones.

Bavuma could not resist another hook, despite not being able to extend his elbow fully, but the chance fell safely. He went on to advance on Shahzad, brought back to replace Naseem, and hit over the covers but could never get comfortable.

Two balls later, Shahzad thought he found his outside edge but Rizwan saw it was pad and Masood listened. Bavuma faced eight more balls before he required treatment on his right elbow – the left was injured before this season – but continued.

In the next over, he drove expansively and loosely against Abbas and appeared to have inside-edged to Rizwan. Bavuma walked but replays showed the ball had again come off his clothing.

This is the second time Bavuma has walked at SuperSport Park – in 2020 against Sri Lanka, he was on 71 when he thought he had under-edged Dasun Shanaka and left the field before the umpire had raised the finger. This time, Alex Wharf had given Bavuma out but he chose not to review to the surprise of the South African changeroom.

Kyle Verreynne could not get behind the line of a Naseem Shah delivery and chopped it onto his stumps. In the next over David Bedingham chased an Abbas ball and was caught behind, and Corbin Bosch did almost exactly the same thing to give Abbas his sixth wicket.

Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen put on 17 between them, and Rabada brought up 1,000 Test runs, but with only Dane Paterson to come, Pakistan will fancy their chances of pulling off a famous win.