Pakistan has reached the semi-final of the ongoing Hong Kong Sixes tournament, defeating South Africa by 18 runs in the quarter-final at Mission Road Ground on Saturday.
The Green Shirts, batting first, had a rocky start. Key players Asif Ali and Faheem Ashraf were dismissed for golden ducks in the opening over, leaving the team at eight runs for two wickets.
Muhammad Akhlaq and Hussain Talat propelled a remarkable recovery despite the early setbacks. Akhlaq, the wicket-keeper batter, aggressively hit the Proteas’ bowlers for seven sixes and two fours, reaching his half-century in just 16 balls and retiring on 53*. This partnership elevated Pakistan to a strong position at 66-2 by the end of the fourth over.
All-rounder Aamer Yamin and Talat then added rapid runs, with Yamin scoring 18 off six balls and Talat finishing with an unbeaten 27 off 11 balls. Their efforts helped Pakistan set a challenging total of 105-3 in six overs.
South Africa fell short in response, managing only 88-4 in their chase of 104. The team struggled early, losing two wickets, including captain JJ Smuts, with just 12 runs scored. Evan Jones and Modiri Litheko attempted to stabilize the innings with a 48-run partnership. However, Talat ended Jones’ spirited effort at 41 runs from 13 balls, leading to South Africa’s faltering at 61-4 in 4.3 overs.
Jones’ knock, which included five sixes, was the highlight for South Africa. However, consecutive dismissals by Talat stifled their momentum, leaving them 18 runs behind.
Talat claimed two wickets for Pakistan, while Shahab Khan and Yamin took one. Under the leadership of Faheem Ashraf, Pakistan remains undefeated in this edition of the Hong Kong Super Sixes, having previously secured victories over the UAE and India. The tournament’s semi-finals and final are scheduled for Sunday.
