South Africa 265 for 8 (Dippenaar 93, Rhodes 81, Waqar 4-41) beat Pakistan 231 (Younis 72, Kallis 5-41) by 34 runs
Scorecard

For the fourth time in five matches, South Africa's discipline got the better of Pakistani dynamism, as Boeta Dippenaar and Jacques Kallis starred in a convincing 34-run victory. For a time, while Inzamam-ul-Haq and Younis Khan were casually ticking off the total in a 108-run partnership for the fifth wicket, a close finish looked on the cards. But Kallis, pitching the ball up and inviting the panicky hoick, took 5 for 41 in 8.4 overs to wrap up the match with 14 balls to spare.

South Africa had earlier been indebted to one of their lesser lights, Dippenaar, who fell seven short of his maiden one-day international century in laying the foundations of an imposing total of 265 for 8. Dippenaar, who rescued the innings from some strife at 22 for 2, added 134 for the fourth wicket with Jonty Rhodes (81), before Mark Boucher applied the tinsel with a quickfire 34 from 16 balls. Dippenaar's innings came from 126 balls, with seven fours, and was a vital effort in trying circumstances.

Until the final flurry of runs, Pakistan's bowling and fielding had been at its tigerish best. Waqar Younis, who took four for 41, was the pick of the attack – he removed the dangerous Herschelle Gibbs for a fourth-ball duck, before crashing a beautiful inswinger into Gary Kirsten's leg stump (22 for 2). When a frustrated Kallis hoisted Saqlain Mushtaq for an easy catch to Salim Elahi at mid-on (61 for 3), South Africa were in danger of imploding.

But, ever the man for a crisis, Rhodes strode out to join Dippenaar, and between them they carried the attack to Pakistan. Rhodes was the aggressor, sprinting the ones and twos like a man possessed, and felling Faisal Iqbal at short leg with a sweetly timed sweep that struck him an agonising blow on the ankle. He struck eight fours in his 95-ball 81, before aiming an ugly reverse hoick at Saqlain, with eight overs remaining (195 for 4).

After an ineffectual promotion for Robin Peterson, Boucher simply laid into Pakistan's spinners, launching Shahid Afridi and Saqlain for four of the biggest sixes imaginable. He was on course to break his own South African record of a half-century in 18 balls, when he chased a gratuitously wide delivery from Saqlain and grazed an edge to Kamran Akmal behind the stumps (262 for 8).

Pakistan's eventual target of 266 was some 20 runs more than they might have bargained for, but they looked all at sea in the opening overs. Shaun Pollock seamed a pearler of a delivery into Salim Elahi's off stump (1 for 1), before Makhaya Ntini cut one off the pitch and trapped Faisal Iqbal on the back foot, plumb in front (2 for 2). When Kamran Akmal mis-pulled Monde Zondeki to Kirsten at mid-on (42 for 3), an early finish seemed Pakistan's likeliest reaction.

But Inzamam, who has been quiet since his return to the side, was in the mood for a scrap. He added 39 for the fourth wicket with Yousuf Youhana, and 108 for the fifth with Younis, and with 76 needed in 11 overs, the game was very much open. But just as he was starting to swing his arms, Inzamam miscued Kallis to Pollock for 63 from 80 balls (189 for 6).

The final nail was hammered in when Younis was run out for an excellent 72 – caught out by a blinding stop on the midwicket boundary. Afridi was a handy man to have at No. 8 when a 37-ball 50 was required. But not even he could counter Kallis and Ntini's nerveless yorkers.

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