Haris Sohail smashed a scintillating knock of 89 runs before the bowlers came to the fore to help Pakistan successfully defend their 300-plus score and clinch a 49-run triumph over South Africa in a do-or-die International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup 2019 clash at the Lord's in London on Sunday.
Electing to bat first, Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman provided a strong start to Pakistan by sharing an 81-run partnership for the opening wicket before Sohail not only scored a 59-ball 89 but also shared an 81-run stand with Babar Azam (69) to guide their side to a formidable score of 308 for seven.
Lungi Ngidi finished with the figures of three for 64, while Imran Tahir scalped two wickets to become South Africa's leading wicket-taker in the history of the World Cup with a total of 39 wickets.
In reply, Wahab Riaz (three for 46) and Shadab Khan (three for 50), Mohammad Amir (two for 49) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (one for 54) all shone with ball to help Pakistan restrict South Africa to a score of 259 for nine in their stipulated 50 overs and keep their semi-final hopes alive.Skipper Faf du Plessis was the highest scorer for South Africa with 63-run knock while Quinton de Kock and Andile Phehlukwayo also contributed with 47 and 46 runs, respectively.
Let us take a look at the highest run-scorers and wicket-takers after Pakistan vs South Africa match:
Most Runs
Australian opener David Warner continues to maintain the top spot in the list of players with highest runs in the 2019 ICC World Cup. He has notched up a total of 447 runs from six matches he has played so far.
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is well-placed at the second spot with 425 runs in five matches. Hasan is being closely followed by England batsman Joe Root, who takes the third spot after scoring just one run less than the Bangladesh all-rounder. Root has amassed a total of 424 runs from six matches.
Australian skipper Aaron Finch and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson are placed at the fourth and the fifth spots with 396 and 373 runs, respectively.
| Pos | Player | Team | Runs | Matches | Innings | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Warner | AUS | 447 | 6 | 6 | 447 |
| 2 | Shakib Al Hasan | BAN | 425 | 5 | 5 | 425 |
| 3 | Joe Root | ENG | 424 | 6 | 6 | 424 |
| 4 | Aaron Finch | AUS | 396 | 6 | 6 | 396 |
| 5 | Kane Williamson | NZ | 373 | 5 | 4 | 373 |
| 6 | Rohit Sharma | IND | 320 | 4 | 4 | 320 |
| 7 | Eoin Morgan | ENG | 270 | 6 | 5 | 270 |
| 8 | Mushfiqur Rahim | BAN | 244 | 5 | 5 | 244 |
| 9 | Steve Smith | AUS | 244 | 6 | 6 | 244 |
| 10 | Virat Kohli | IND | 244 | 4 | 4 | 244 |
Most Wickets:
Mohammad Amir's two wickets against South Africa saw him reclaim the top spot in the list of highest wicket-takers in the ongoing quadrennial event. He is now standing with a total of 15 wickets from five matches.
The Pakistan fast bowler has climbed up two places to dethrone England's Jofra Archer, who also have 15 wickets in his tally but is standing behind Amir after conceding more runs than him.
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who also has 15 wickets from six matches, continues to stand at the third spot in the wicket-takers list.
New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson and English pacer Mark Wood round off the top five list with 14 and 12 wickets, respectively.
| Pos | Player | Team | Wickets | Matches | Innings | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohammad Amir | PAK | 15 | 5 | 5 | 219 |
| 2 | Jofra Archer | ENG | 15 | 6 | 6 | 269 |
| 3 | Mitchell Starc | AUS | 15 | 6 | 6 | 304 |
| 4 | Lockie Ferguson | NZ | 14 | 5 | 5 | 217 |
| 5 | Mark Wood | ENG | 12 | 5 | 5 | 203 |
| 6 | Pat Cummins | AUS | 11 | 6 | 6 | 272 |
| 7 | Imran Tahir | SA | 10 | 7 | 6 | 279 |
| 8 | Chris Morris | SA | 9 | 6 | 5 | 232 |
| 9 | Sheldon Cottrell | WI | 9 | 6 | 6 | 230 |
| 10 | Mohammad Saifuddin | BAN | 9 | 4 | 4 | 248 |
A total of 10 teams-- England, India, Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, South Africa, West Indies, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are playing in the 2019 edition of the cricket's showpiece event.
