Daily Cricket News

2nd Test: Pak 317/6, trail SA by 267

Abu Dhabi: A defiant knock of 77 not out by Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq and fighting half centuries by Azhar Ali (90) and Asad Shafiq (61) kept Pakistan's hopes of avoiding a follow-on alive at the time of stumps on day three of the second Test against South Africa on Monday.

Young Azhar Ali was unfortunate to miss a deserving century when he was skittled out by a fiery Dale Steyn.

Steyn led the South African attack and took two wickets in the space of five balls to restrict Pakistan to 220-4 at tea and give South Africa some hope of enforcing the follow-on.

The 27-year-old Steyn removed Younis Khan (14) and Azhar Ali before Pakistan were helped by Shafiq and Misbah who avoided any further loss until the tea break.

Both Shafiq and Misbah added 107 runs for the fifth-wicket stand. South Africa had declared their first innings at 584-9 on Sunday.

Earlier in the morning, Pakistan lost only opener Taufiq Umer (43) but Steyn raised some hopes through deliveries which came off slow on the flat Abu Dhabi Stadium pitch.

Younis miscued a drive and was caught at covers before Ali, Pakistan's fast-rising batsman, gave a simple catch to Graeme Smith at mid-off, wickets which slid Pakistan from well-placed 153-2 to 156-4.

Shafiq, playing his first Test, batted confidently, hitting 10 boundaries off 118 balls he faced. That included three in one Johan Botha over. Misbah matched his junior partner, also hitting Botha for three consecutive boundaries in the over.

Resuming at 59-1, Pakistan's batsmen faced no problems as the Umer-Ali duo put on 117 for the second-wicket stand before Jacques Kallis provided his team with its only breakthrough by dismissing Umer.

Ali hit paceman Morne Morkel for his eighth boundary to complete his fifth Test half-century - his third consecutively in the series after hitting one in each innings of the drawn first Test in Dubai.

Ali then had a lucky escape when, on 64, he edged left-arm spinner Paul Harris towards forward short-leg where AB de Villiers juggled with the ball before dropping it.

Ali hit 12 boundaries during his 175-ball knock, falling two runs short of his Test best of 92, made against England at The Oval three months ago.