Close South Africa 196 for 8 in 50 overs (Dippenaar 55, Rhodes 57, Wasim Akram 3-31) beat Pakistan 188 in 48.3 overs (Shahid Afridi 62, Donald 4-43) by 8 runs
Scorecard

Allan Donald, South Africa's veteran fast bowler, grabbed four wickets as South Africa completed a dramatic eight-run win over Pakistan, to qualify for the Morocco Cup final against Sri Lanka.

Restricted to a paltry 196 for 8 from their 50 overs after choosing to bat first, the South Africans hit back to bowl out Pakistan for 188 in a thrilling finish at the Tangier Cricket Stadium. Donald, who removed top-scorer Shahid Afridi for 62 in his first spell, claimed three of the last four wickets in his second stint to his side into Wednesday's final.

South Africa and Sri Lanka have to meet again, in the academic final round-robin match tomorrow. Pakistan's defeat today - their third in four games here - means they cannot qualify for the final of the $US250,000 event.

Pakistan appeared to be cruising at the start of their reply, when a typically aggressive 62 from 40 balls by Afridi lifted them to 92 for 2 in 18 overs. But then Afridi's dismissal triggered a dramatic middle-order collapse. Four wickets crashed for 27, three in the space of seven balls for one run.

Luck deserted Pakistan when Inzamam-ul-Haq, who made 41, swung Justin Ontong for six but dislodged the stumps with his left leg and was out hit wicket.

Pakistan's fate was sealed with nine deliveries left, when when their captain Waqar Younis lofted Donald to long-on, where Graeme Smith took the catch gleefully.

"Inzamam's dismissal turned the game our way," said Shaun Pollock, the SA captain. "Having been bowled out for a low score, we knew what we had to do - just peg away and get wickets.

"When Afridi was blazing away, I was just hoping he would be out soon. It was a great fightback by us in the field, and that makes us confident for the final."

Waqar said the batsmen let his team down. "If we can't score 197, we don't deserve to win," he said. "We lost wickets at critical intervals and that did us in. Hopefully we have learnt some lessons from the tournament, so that we perform better next time."

Pakistan now travel to Nairobi for a tri-series against Australia, the world champions, and Kenya. That starts on August 29.

Afridi, who came in after Imran Nazir was bowled by Pollock off the fifth ball of the innings, slammed Jacques Kallis for three of his four sixes. He also slammed six fours, but eventually fell to Donald, edging a slash outside off to Mark Boucher, the wicketkeeper.

Inzamam and Yousuf Youhana carried the score to 118 for 3 in the 28th over, whereupon Pakistan were floored by three quick setbacks. Lance Klusener had Youhana caught on at deep midwicket for 22, then trapped Younis Khan leg-before next ball. Abdul Razzaq stopped the hat-trick, but fell in the next over when he stepped aside to cut the left-arm spinner Nicky Boje, but misread the line and was bowled.

Rashid Latif made 22 before he played on, the first of three late victims for the rampant Donald.

Earlier, those other ageing fast men Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis rolled back the years to restrict South Africa to 196 for 8. They both produced devastating opening spells to reduce the South Africans to 49 for 5 by the 15th over, before battling half-centuries from Boeta Dippenaar and Boucher boosted the total.

Dippenaar hit 55 and Boucher made 57, and they put on 78 for the sixth wicket. Klusener chipped in with an unbeaten 28 off 42 balls, unusually with only one four. Akram, 37, had Herschelle Gibbs - a centurymaker in the previous match between the sides - caught behind with the first ball of the match, and finished with 3 for 31.

Waqar, 32, took 2 for 48, but the last word on this day of the golden oldies went to 35-year-old Allan Donald.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd