Put into bat, Pakistan began with a new opening batsman Sarfraz Ahmed. They left out Nasir Jamshed, who has been going through a bad patch. Sarfraz and Ahmed Shehzad began with a 30-run opening stand, before Shehzad succumbed to a mistimed chip that was brilliantly held by Dale Styen at deep midwicket. Sarfraz however, flourished in the company of Younis Khan and the two batsmen added 62 for the second wicket before Sarfraz was unfortunately run-out affected by a superb piece of fielding by David Miller, whose throw to de Kock was immaculate. Sarfraz made 49 off 49 balls with 5 fours and 3 sixes. Younis Khan carried on with skipper Misbah-ul-Haq and together they added another 40 runs in good time. Khan got out for 37off 44 balls even as Misbah carried on alone like he had done in most matches. Only Afridi contributed 22 later in the innings and once Afridi got out at the score of 212, he was followed by four more Pakistan batsmen as the innings came to end for 222 in 46.4 overs. Misbah finished as the top-scorer with an 86-ball 56.
When South Africa came on to chase, the target was revised to 232 in 47 overs. Even so it shouldn’t have bothered them. However the Auckland Saturday didn’t belong to them as Pakistan struck in the very first over. Quinton de Kock attempted to play an express delivery from Mohammad Irfan towards mid-on but the ball took the edge of his bat for the first of the six catches to Sarfraz Ahmed. However, South Africa were still unruffled as Hashim Amla and du Plessis added 67 runs for second wicket. It was here that the turnaround was engineered by Pakistan’s pace battery. Amla and du Plessis departed at the same score of 67. Rilee Rosouw and David Miller also got out after 10 runs were added. JP Duminy came to join de Villiers and took the score past 100 but Duminy fell at 102 in the 20th over to make it 102/6 for South Africa. Pakistan quickies were bowling with fire by this time. But de Villiers still carved out three useful partnerships; 36 wth Styen, 34 with Kyle Abbott and another 28 with Morne Morkel. But once de Villiers fell as the ninth wicket, Imran Tahir and Morne Morkel found it too much to reach the victory target. Pakistan won by 29 runs and they are literally in the quarterfinal with just a match remaining with Ireland.