Hyderabad: Opener Reeza Hendrick's scintillating century helped South Africa beat Pakistan by 7 wickets and 3 balls to spare in the high-scoring second T20I at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on Friday, December 14, 2024, and clinched the three-match series 2-0 with a game to go. This is South Africa's first bilateral T20I series win since August 2022.
They registered the third-highest successful chase at SuperSport Park to break a T20I trophy drought that has extended for eight series, since they beat Ireland more than two years ago.
🟢🟡Match Result
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 13, 2024
The Proteas take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the 3-match KFC T20i Series now.😎🏏
🇿🇦South Africa win by 7 wickets
Bring on the 3rd and final match tomorrow night at the DP World Wanderers Stadium!🏟️#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/wehev3AoNS
SuperSport Park stadium is not the easy ground to defend any total and Pakistan's bowling attack made it look too ordinary. Hendricks with a stunning hundred - his maiden T20I ton, where he was seen smashing sixes for fun. Hendricks amassed 117 runs off just 63 balls that included 7 fours and 10 sixes. With this hundred, Reeza Hendrick became the South African with most (17) fifty-plus scores in T20Is, surpassing Quinton de Kock's tally of 16.
A stunning Proteas chase in Centurion 🇿🇦#SAvPAK 👉 https://t.co/3A9kezl9Lc pic.twitter.com/aBhQAD7Abw
— ICC (@ICC) December 13, 2024
The Proteas didn't get the start they would have wanted in reply of massive target of 207 runs. The hosts lost Ryan Rickelton (2 off 2 balls) and Matthew Breetzke (12 off 10 balls) early on in the innings, but Reeza was joined by Van der Dussen (66 off 38 balls) and the duo tore apart Pakistan.
South Africa win the second T20I by seven wickets following Reeza Hendricks' century.#SAvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/4w8QbPzWjs
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 13, 2024
Except Abrar Ahmed and Jahandad Khan (1/40) the others were smashed all over the place. Abbas Afridi (2/46 off 3.3 overs), Haris Rauf (0/57) and Shaheen Afridi (0/37) were guilty of overdoing the slower-balls and lots of sixes were smacked against them to the mid-wicket area, shortest region of the ground. Some of the shots Reeza played were jaw-dropping and came off pure timing and class on show from him.
WHAT A PERFORMANCE!😃
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 13, 2024
Reeza Hendricks brings up his 1st T20i century for the Proteas in dominant fashion.🏏☄️
Incredible scenes and what a moment to celebrate!🥳#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/vYU4N4w5qO
However, he failed to stay their and finish the things off to Abbas Afridi in the 18th over, but the damage was already done. But Dussen and stand-in captain Heinrich Klassen didn't let the momentum slip away and complete the chase quite comfortably. The game went to the last over but South Africa were always in a comfortable position.
Rassie takes us home!🫡
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 13, 2024
Rassie vd Dussen played a phenomenal knock of 66* as he took our Proteas over the line after Reeza’s superb century!🤗🇿🇦😁#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/V5XbuYJjxY
Earlier, after being asked to field first, South Africa conceded the fifth-highest first-innings total at SuperSport Park courtesy of southpaw opener Saim Ayub's brute 98 not out off 57 balls knock, laced with 11 fours and 5 sixes, striking at 171.93.
However, apart from Saim, there were no notable impactful contributions. The second highest score for the side came from former skipper Babar Azam, who managed to score 31 off 20 balls with the help of 3 fours and a six. Losing wickets at regular intervals resulted in their scoring rate faltering at a critical juncture. At 103 for 1 after 11 overs, they added only 33 runs for three wickets in the next five overs. It was a quick-fire 73-run collaboration between Ayub and Irfan Khan for the fifth wicket that eventually took the visitors 200+ run total that eventually was not enough to help them win.
