South Africa extend lead in Karachi Test

South African spinner Paul Harris took a career-best five for 73 against Pakistan as the visitors extended their lead on the third day of the first Test on Wednesday. The 28-year-old left-armer took full advantage of a spin-friendly pitch to dismiss the home team for 291 after Pakistan fought hard to avoid the follow-on at the National Stadium.
South Africa reached 76-3 at close to give them an overall lead of 235 with seven wickets intact, having scored 450 in the first innings. Jacques Kallis was unbeaten on 18 and Ashwell Prince on 11 not out.
Proteas' wicket-keeper Mark Boucher meanwhile set a new world record in Tests for victims behind the stumps, surpassing former Australian player Ian Healy's tally of 395.
The tourists will now rely mainly on Kallis, who hit 155 in the first innings, to take them to a winning total on the fourth day when the pitch is set to further deteriorate and aid the spinners. South Africa were given an untroubled start of 41 in their second innings before Abdul Rehman struck twice in the space of two runs.
The left-armer had Smith caught behind for 25 and in his next over got Hashim Amla stumped off a looping delivery. Amla failed to score.
Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria then dismissed Herschelle Gibbs for 18 when Faisal Iqbal smartly caught an attempted sweep at silly mid-off. Harris, whose previous best of 4-46 was also against Pakistan at Centurion earlier this year, ended a defiant 84-run seventh wicket stand between captain Shoaib Malik (73) and his deputy Salman Butt (24).
Harris said he was lucky. "Any spinner would love to bowl on such a pitch and I am happy that I produced results. The true test of my skill would be in the second innings," said Harris. At 238-8 Pakistan were all but condemned to follow on with Harris extracting both spin and bounce, but number ten Kaneria with an unbeaten 26 and Umar Gul (12) saved the home side from the humiliation of batting a second time.
Pakistan, resuming at a precarious 127-5, lost Rehman as early as the eighth over of the day when Andre Nel forced an edge off the bat which was caught by Boucher behind the stumps.
Butt, who was unable to open the innings on Tuesday after being hospitalised with stomach pains, defied doctor's advice for a two-day rest to help Malik take the home team to 219-6 at lunch. Malik hit Harris for two bondaries and a six to reach his half-century and also complete 1,000 runs in his 19th Test.
It was Harris who provided the breakthrough when he trapped Butt in front of the wicket, before Malik rashly stepped out of his crease to a flighted Harris delivery and was stumped by Boucher.
Malik hit six boundaries and a six during his stubborn 227-minute stay. Gul and Kaneria added 21 runs for the ninth wicket before Harris struck again, dismissing Gul, who was stumped by Boucher for 12 to give the keeper his new millstone.
Boucher (378 catches and 18 stumpings) beat the record in his 103rd Test, compared with 119 Tests for Healy. Boucher said he felt great on creating a world record. "It's great feeling to have broken a record, especially of someone like Healy. I use to watch him on television as a schoolboy and I used to like the way he kept," said the South African keeper.
"It would be cherry on the top if we win this Test," said Boucher who felt another 150-160 runs would put his team in a winning position. Kaneria then added another 32 runs for the last wicket with Mohammad Asif (10) before Dale Steyn wrapped up the innings by bowling Asif to finish with 2-50. Nel took 2-59. The second Test starts in Lahore from Monday.
SCOREBOARD:
-- South Africa 1st innings 450 (J. Kallis 155, AB de Villiers 77, Hashim Amla 71, H. Gibbs 54; Abdul Rehman 4-105)
-- Pakistan 1st innings (overnight 127-5)

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Mohammad Hafeez c Kallis b Harris      34

Kamran Akmal lbw b Harris              42

Younis Khan b Nel                       6

Faisal Iqbal b Kallis                   7

Misbah-ul Haq c Boucher b Steyn        23

Shoaib Malik st Boucher b Harris       73

Abdul Rehman c Boucher b Nel            9

Salman Butt lbw b Harris               24

Umar Gul st Boucher b Harris           12

Danish Kaneria not out                 26

Mohammad Asif b Steyn                  10

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Extras: (b15, lb7, nb2, w1)            25

Total:                                291

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Fall of wickets: 1-71 (Akmal), 2-82 (Hafeez), 3-84 (Younis), 4-97 (Iqbal), 5-120 (Haq), 6-149 (Rehman), 7-233 (Butt), 8-238 (Malik), 9-259 (Gul)
Bowling: Steyn 13.3-2-50-2; Ntini 11-2-48-0; Harris 36-13-73-5; Nel 20-4-59-2, Kallis 11-3-21-1; Smith 6-1-18-0
Overs: 97.3
-- South Africa 2nd innings:

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G. Smith c Akmal b Rehman              25

H. Gibbs c Iqbal b Kaneria             18

H. Amla st Akmal b Rehman               0

J. Kallis not out                      18

A. Prince not out                      11

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Extras:                       (b4)      4

Total: (for three wkts)                76

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