Defending champions Pakistan is through to the semifinals of the 2010 ICC World Twenty/20 Championship following their 11-run win over South Africa at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in St. Lucia on Monday.
Pakistan needed a victory to prolong their Twenty/20 World Cup ambition of back to back titles while South Africa was aiming to prove their doubters wrong.
Most of the teams who have batted first have gone on to win so far in the tournament, so there was no prize guessing what Shahid Afridi would have done.
But trouble surfaced very early in the innings as they slumped to 18 for three after five overs.
Pakistan needed a savior, and the Akmal brothers came to their rescue.
The champions have struggled against the quicker bowlers in the past, but South Africa's Captain Graeme Amith might have missed that little detail.
Akmal brothers save Pakistani innings
The spinners were introduced and both Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal satisfied their appetite for runs in a partnership worth 61 runs.
Herschelle Gibbs provided the breakthrough for South Africa to break up the Akmal brother partnership as Kamran went for 37 from 33.
Afridi joined Umar and the pair lifted the tempo in another 61 run stand which came off 33 deliveries.
Akmal raised his bat to signal but both fell to Langeveldt in the seventeenth over.
Umar was caught by Gibbs for 51 which came off 33 balls including two fours and four sixes while Afridi was bowled for 30 as Pakistanis innings ended at 148 for 7.
South Africa's Langeveldt finished with four for 19.
Ajmal demolish SA batting line-up
The South Africans began their reply shakily, losing Gibbs in the third over, caught by Misbah-ul-haq Niazi off Abdul Razzaq for three and Smith caught by Afridi off Abdur Rehman for 13 to leave the scoreboard reading 23 for 2.
Saeed Ajmal removed Jacques Kallis for 22 and when Jean Paul Duminy was caught by Rashid Latif off Rehman for three, South Africa were 68 for 4.
Abe de Villiers carried South Africa's hopes in a valiant 53 which included one four and two sixes off 41 deliveries.
HHe tried a few shots along the way but his improvisation provided Ajmal with his second of four wickets as South Africa's chance of a successful chase became unlikely. Johan Botha was the last man out as South Africa's participation in the tournament ended at 137 for 7 with Ajmal claiming 4 for 26.
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