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Ashraf and Mirza skittle South Africa as Pakistan win 2nd T20 / Photo: © AFP
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Ashraf and Mirza skittle South Africa as Pakistan win 2nd T20
Pace bowlers Faheem Ashraf and Salman Mirza registered their best international T20 figures to guide Pakistan to a nine-wicket win over South Africa in Lahore on Friday.
Ashraf grabbed 4-23 and Mirza snared 3-14 to dismiss South Africa for just 110 before opener Saim Ayub struck an unbeaten 71, helping Pakistan easily knock off the runs.
The win levelled the series at 1-1 after South Africa won the first match in Rawalpindi by 55 runs on Tuesday. The third and final match is in Lahore on Saturday.
Ayub's 38-ball burst featured six fours and five sixes, the last coming off Donovan Ferreira to seal the victory, with Babar Azam also not out on 11.
Pakistan raced to 54 in the seventh over with Sahibzada Farhan smashing three sixes as he made 28 before he was trapped leg-before by Corbin Bosch.
Azam became the highest run-scorer in T20 internationals, surpassing India batsman Rohit Sharma's total of 4,231 in 159 games. Azam now has 4,234 in 130 matches.
Pakistan captain Salman Agha hopes his team can replicate their display in the series decider.
"I am happy with this win," said Agha. "They outplayed us in the last game but today we bowled well up front and now I hope this good work continues in the next match."
South African skipper Ferreira admitted the batting let his team down.
"We didn't give our bowlers enough to defend," said Ferreira. "We don't have much time to reflect on this so we need to put this behind and come strong tomorrow."
South Africa, sent in to bat, were jolted two balls into their innings when Mirza bowled Reeza Hendricks for nought.
Naseem Shah had Quinton de Kock caught for seven before Mirza dismissed Tony de Zorzi (seven) and Matthew Breetzke (five) in successive overs.
From 23-4, Dewald Brevis and Ferreira added the highest stand of the innings of 26 before Ashraf stopped any revival with a haul of four wickets.
Brevis hit three sixes in his 16-ball 25 -- South Africa's top score -- as Ferreira added 15.
Ashraf's previous best of 4-27 was against Afghanistan in Sharjah last month while Mirza's best of 3-20 came against Bangladesh in Dhaka earlier this year.
C.Pawlowski--GL
