The Pakistan 150 came up in the 34th over in 137 minutes including 15 fours.

Inzamam still content on playing the anchor went to his 50 in 83 minutes off 67 balls made up of 26 singles, five twos and four fours. In comparison Khan looked most impressive, with his 50 consisting of 24 singles, one two and six fours made off 54 balls.

The 100 partnership came up in 71 minutes off 109 balls including 10 fours with Inzamam scoring 44 and Khan scoring 54.

Kallis was re-introduced into the attack and struck third ball when Inzamam tried to pull a slower ball, only for it to come off the bottom of the bat straight to Pollock at midwicket. He had played so well, maybe losing concentration for a second, to leave the field on 63 and Pakistan 189/5 in the fortieth over.

Khan being the more aggressive took two consecutive fours off Kallis and nearly repeated it in the following over. A further four off Hall took him to a run a ball.

Inzamam was more prepared to push the ball into the gaps, with the occasional boundary, and in so doing brought up the fifty partnership in a quick 35 minutes off 61 balls including 6 fours.

After 30 overs Pakistan had moved to 135/4 with Inzamam on 40 and Khan on 28. In comparison South Africa was 128/3 after 30 overs.

A lot depended on the partnership between Youhana and Inzamam-ul-Haq. Inzamam, early in his innings, was beaten a few times by Zondeki but it was Youhana who was stroking the ball beautifully.

Zondeki bowled well in his first few overs but started to get a bit wild the longer he bowled. Pollock fielding at mid off continually encouraged the young bowler who will grow in confidence the longer he plays.

At the other end Kallis got the breakthrough having Youhana play on from one that came back from outside off. Youhana, such a good player off the legs, will have to work on the lack of good foot movement outside the off. Having got to 46 Youhana should have carried it through and once again Pakistan failed to put a partnership together with the fourth wicket going down on 81.

After 20 overs Pakistan had moved to 81/4 with Inzamam on 16.

Faisal Iqbal lasted four balls, after Ntini had beaten his man the ball before, to squared him up and have him right in front without scoring and Pakistan 2/2 in the second over.

Yousuf Youhana who had joined Kamran Akmal scored the first boundary of the innings when in the sixth over he magnificently straight drove Ntini to the long off rope. Youhana particularly strong on the legs and the leading run scorer in one-day cricket for 2002 looked determined to do well.

After 10 overs Pollock and Ntini had restricted Pakistan to 28/2 with Akmal on 10 and Youhana on 18.

With the return of Saqlain, Rhodes tried to play one to many reverse sweeps, a shot that he had been very successful with during his innings, and was bowled for 81 with South Africa on 195 in the 43rd over. An excellent innings, which the crowd rose to as he left the field.

Robin Peterson came in to try and accelerate the run rate scoring 11 off 11 balls when he flicked Waqar straight down the throat of deep square leg and South Africa 212/5 with five overs left in the innings.

Mark Boucher after having a look for three balls let lose with two long on sixes off the bowling of Afridi to race to 15 off 7 balls. Showing no respect to Saqlain he dispatched the off break bowler over long on and over midwicket as well.

Dippenaar unselfishly lost his wicket when on 93 trying to go over extra cover he was well caught by Sami coming round from long off to leave the ground to a standing ovation and surely a ticket to the World Cup. He had played the perfect anchor role and put the team before himself when he had every opportunity to go for the 100.

Pollock, without scoring, fell in the last over scooping a high catch to long off where Razzaq, after making at least twenty meters, got under it.

Boucher went the very next ball, chasing and charging a very wide ball he edged to Kamran Akmal for 34 off 16 balls including four sixes. His lightning innings might just be the difference at the end.

Monde Zondeki (3*) avoided the hattrick by splicing Saqlain over his head. The bowler chased after it but it fell a few meters ahead of him.

A stumping chance against Hall (0*) off the last ball of the innings was turned down and South Africa, thanks mainly to the whirlwind knock from Boucher had reached 265/8.

Jonty Rhodes, who has saved South Africa on so many occasions, went to his 33 rd one-day 50 in 81 minutes off 70 balls, passing Jacques Kallis to become South Africa’s second highest one-day international run scorer.

The hundred partnership came up in 89 minutes off 134 balls and at 176/3 with ten overs to go Dippenaar (70) and Rhodes (71) had laid a foundation that should take South Africa to somewhere above 250.

With Shahid Afridi coming on in the 26th over, things changed and after 10 overs without a boundary, Rhodes swept and cut two in a row, suddenly pushing the rate up above four to the over.

Dippenaar intent on batting through the innings was the ideal partner for Rhodes and together they brought up the 50 partnership off 73 balls with only the two boundaries to Rhodes.

Dippenaar went to his 50, playing an excellent anchor role, in 123 minutes and off 74 balls including five fours.

At 30 overs South Africa had recovered to 128/3 with Dippenaar looking solid on 52 and Rhodes on 42.

With Jonty Rhodes joining Dippenaar at 61/3 the crowd anticipated some quick singles between the two quickest runners in the South African team. They were not disappointed, dots became ones, ones became twos and even twos became threes as the two ran the fielders silly.

Saqlain having gone for 10 runs in his first over, pulled it back well by going for 16 after five, including the valuable wicket of Kallis. Razzaq, who has improved in every game played in South Africa, was far more economical going for 12 in four.

Faisal Iqbal fielding at short square leg will not field that close to the bat again without wearing shin pads. Rhodes sweeping cleanly struck Iqbal just below the knee putting the fielder down on his back writhing in pain. A bit of the magic spray soon had him up, this time with shin pads.

At 20 overs South Africa had nursed the score to 77/3 with Dippenaar looking solid on 35 and Rhodes on 11.

Waqar started with 16 dot balls before he gave away his first runs. At the other end Mohammad Sami bowling two wides and a no ball gave away 12 runs in his first two overs. Trying to bowl quickly he lost control of his line and length.

Waqar bowling a great line and length, with swing, had Kirsten driving outside the line to be bowled through the gate for 12 and South Africa 22/2 in the seventh over. Waqar taking his 50th wicket during the 2002 calendar year.

After ten overs South Africa had moved to 31/2 with Dippenaar on 12 and Kallis on four.

The grass banks were already filling up, and another traditionally festive crowd is expected to encourage the teams on.

Pollock won the toss and with what looked like a belter of a rock hard batting pitch decided to bat.

South Africa decided to rest Lance Klusener and Allan Donald, who has a slight ankle niggle, bringing in Andrew Hall and Monde Zondeki.

Pakistan have left out Shoaib Akhtar, struggling with fitness, and Mohammad Sami comes in.

South Africa team:

HH Gibbs, G Kirsten, HH Dippenaar, JH Kallis, JN Rhodes, +MV Boucher, *SM Pollock, AJ Hall, RJ Peterson, M Ntini, M Zondeki.

Pakistan team:

+Kamran Akmal, Saleem Elahi, Abdur Razzaq, Yousuf Youhana, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Faisal Iqbal, Shahid Afridi, Saqlain Mushtaq, *Waqar Younis, Mohammad Sami.

History could be made at Newlands with Monde Zondeki and Makhaya Ntini becoming the first non-white bowlers to share the new ball for South Africa. The UCBSA Development programme, recently under a lot of criticism, once again has shown that it has been successful.

Both teams have had an in-form 2002 calendar year. Shaun Pollock is leading the world wicket takers with 53 and closely followed by Makhaya Ntini and Waqar Younis on 48. Allan Donald third with 45 is one wicket ahead of Wasim Akram. Glen McGrath is further back on 41.

Yousuf Youhana leads the pack in batting, having scored 1316 runs with Herschelle Gibbs on 1310 and Jacques Kallis a long way back on 1196 just ahead of Marvin Atapattu on 1174. With todays match the last of the year for both Pakistan and South Africa, a secondary battle takes place to see who will head the 2002 batting and bowling tables.