Tsotsobe continues with the short ball. Misbah ducks one, but looks unfazed by this tactic.He gets off strike by turning one to leg. Amin gets off the mark by pushing to mid off.
WICKET! Ahmed Shahzad c Smith b Parnell 58 (92). Shehzad pulled Parnell and almost holed out to long leg, and then promptly pulled the next ball into Smith's hands at square leg.
Another good over from Tsotsobe but wickets are needed even more than dot balls, and he is not looking to do the business at the moment.
Misbah connects with a reverse sweep off Tahir, who has a half-hearted LBW shout next ball.
FIFTY for Ahmed Shehzad as he steers one wide of third man and gets to his fifty off 80 balls. But there is trouble for him off the next ball as Misbah calls for the quick single. Faf du Plessis came sliding in and made the underarm throw, crashing into Shehzad as he dived to make his ground. Shehzad has been cut and might have hurt his wrist as well. After some treatment he gives Tsotsobe the charge and is hit on the hip. Misbah gets away with a miscued pull over square leg.
Misbah misses with a huge attempted heave and Tahir can't believe it missed the stumps.
Shehzad looks for the lofted off drive off Morkel, but it is mis-timed. it clears the tall Parnell at mid off, who does well to save the boundary.
De Villiers brings back his other wicket taking option in Imran Tahir, but all he gets is three singles.
Morkel is brought back and bowls a tidy enough over, but he needs to strike if SA are to stay in this game.
WICKET! Mohammad Hafeez c de Villiers b Parnell 28 (39). Parnell drops it short and Hafeez gets into a tangle, gloving a catch down the leg side.
McLaren spoils a good over by giving Shehzad some room off the last ball and it is smashed over the covers.
Parnell continues after the break, and bowls a tidy over. SA need to strike but the bowling seems to have gone flat after the super first ten overs.
Shehzad is warming to his task now, easily lofting McLaren back over his head. SA will welcome the drinks break.
Parnell returns and finds the edge of Shehzad's bat. He plays with soft hands and it landed short of Ingram at slip but prompted the fielder to go wider. The next ball goes between slip and keeper at a catchable height.
Hafeez is taken off guard by McLaren's bouncer, but there is just enough bat on it to take it out of reach of the fielder at mid on.
Hafeez almost pushes a full toss back to the bowler. Other than that the batsmen are happy to push the ball around for singles.
McLaren replaces Parnell after just one over. He bowls a good line, despite slipping one down leg for a wide, and beats the bat of Shehzad as well.
Imran Tahir comes into the attack, and he makes a good start. The googly is too short and tugged to long leg where Miller uncharacteristically makes a total hash of the stop.
Parnell into the attack, and the batsmen seem to relax immediately. Hafeez drives a half-volley to just short of the long on boundary as a lot of the good work done in the first ten overs is undone.
Hafeez is lucky to get away with a poor shot to Tsotsobe, wafting outside the off stump. He is lucky to miss it. Shehzad also has a scare as his partner calls him for a quick single and he is almost caught short.
Good fielding by Miller keeps the pressure on Shehzad. Morkel completes his third maiden in five overs.
Tsotsobe continues to keep it tight. Shehzad goes after a short ball at the end of the over but gets it high on the bat, but well short of Parnell on the boundary.
Morkel beats Hafeez with his first ball, and has an LBW shout later on. After a quick conference, they will not review it. The replay shows it clipping leg, and umpire Illingworth would have been vindicated. Morkel can't complete the maiden, however, slipping in a full toss which is worked through mid wicket to end the over.
Shehzad plays a well controlled pull but Parnell fields well and whips in the throw as he comes back for the second. The throw is strong but just not over the stumps, and de Villiers has to try a flip onto the stumps from about 2 metres away. Tsotsobe responds with a fine yorker, but Shehzad lives to fight another day and puts one away by bouncing it over Miller at point.
WICKET! Nasir Jamshed c Miller b Morkel 0 (12). Morkel bangs that one in and it got very big on Jamshed. He was in two minds about going through with the shot or bailing out, but in the end it hit him on the splice of the bat and looped up for an easy catch to Miller at square leg.
Tsotsobe maintains an excellent line and length and collects another maiden, not that the run rate is really an issue as Pakistan need just another 180 in 46 overs.
Morkel almost makes the breakthrough as he tempts Shehzad into the pull and finds the top edge. Imran Tahir came around the long leg boundary but was not quick enough to get under it in time.
Tsotsobe also finds a good line from the start, almost inducing Jamshed to play on as he defends on the back foot.
Morkel starts proceedings. He found the edge of Shehzad's bat but it dropped short of Ingram at slip. The first over is a maiden, although there was a leg bye.
WICKET! Imran Tahir c Wahab Riaz b Sohail Tanvir 1 (4). Tsotsobe not out 16 (42). Tahir gave that a good hit, but found the fielder at deep mid wicket. So South Africa are dismissed for just 183 after a very disappointing effort with the bat. While there was some promise from Miller, only Parnell got past the 50 mark, finding an unlikely partner in Tsotobe for a ninth wicket partnership of 52. Misbah-ul-Haq will be extremely proud of the effort put in by his bowlers. Irfan 1-35, Tanvir 2-33, Ajmal 4-30, Afridi 3-37.
WICKET! Parnell c Ahmed Shehzad b Saeed Ajmal 56 (70). End of a brave innings from Parnell as he has hit this one too high and it will not clear the boundary fielder. Ajmal now has his best figures in ODIs against South Africa, and ends his spell with 4-30
Parnell and Tsotsobe have now completed a 50 partnership, but the South African faces in the dressing room are still understandably anxious
FIFTY! Parnell pushes one to mid on and gets to a maiden ODI fifty off 62 balls. Tsotsobe keeps out a good Irfan yorker. He has also recorded his highest ODI score.
Parnell picks Tanvir' s slow ball, but the bounce is so low that he plays over it anyway. Tsotsobe chips another slower ball but it falls short of Irfan.
Wow! Tsotsobe comes down the track to Ajmal and drives it under a diving mid off. A great shot from the tall fast bowler. But that is not all, as he advances again and sends it into the crowd at long on.
Sohail Tanvir returns, and starts with a slow ball that beats Parnell comprehensively. He pushes the fifth to mid off and sets off for the quick single where Ajmal misfields. Tanvir goes around the wicket to Tsotsobe, and it somehow goes between the bat and leg stump. The bowler can only hold his hands on his head.
For once Tsotsobe manages to turn over the strike, and Parnell makes full use of it with a massive blow over mid wicket that brings up the 150.
Tsotsobe has to see of five balls. He almost spars one to the keeper, and then he clubs a shorter ball into the ground almost at his feet. He makes room to drive over the covers off the fifth ball, but is beaten by Irfan.
Parnell comes down the track and lofts it confidently over Afridi's head. He almost gets himself into trouble trying to repeat the shot, but this time it is not hit well enough to carry to Wahab on the boundary. Tsotsobe continues to hang in there, surviving a less than convincing LBW shout.
Tsotsobe living a charmed life as Irfan returns to complete the PowerPlay. He could have been run out, then was beaten by Irfan a few times.
Afridi has an LBW shout against Tsotosbe to end the over, but it was hardly convincing.
Ajmal continues and Parnell plays the switch hit to good effect. Tsotsobe advances nicely to loft one down to long on.
Parnell pushes one down the ground. Tsotsobe blocks the rest from Afridi.
The PowerPlay has to be taken. Saeed Ajmal is back on, and a misfield brings Tsotsobe onto strike. He defends solidly.
WICKET! Miller c & b Shahid Afrdi 37 (51). A soft dismissal as Afridi changes his line to over the wicket, and Miller checks his shot to push it tamely back to the bowler. He did have to dive forward, but takes it easily. Morkel safely edges his first delivery. He lofts one over mid wicket and at last some luck for SA as Wahab misfields. WICKET! Morkel lbw b Shahid Afridi 4 (4). He swats across the line to the next and is trapped in front. Tsotsobe survives Afridi's medium pacer, delivered at 130 km/h but outside off stump.
Wahab returns to up the pace and he goes past the outside edge of Miller.
Miller in some trouble against Afridi. He pushed one back wide of the bowler and then was hit on the pads sweeping the last ball, but it looked to be outside the line.
Good running and some good use of the feet by Miller as he keeps the scoreboard ticking over. The second drinks break is called.
Parnell picks out a few fielders, but when the short ball comes he smashes it past point and is happy to shoulder arms to Afridi's next ball.
Hafeez has an attacking field, with some close catchers in but the batsmen continue to accumulate the singles.
Parnell lofts Afridi over his head for a solid boundary and Miller brings up the 100 with an uppish drive. Parnell's edge is also in the picture as he drives at Afridi and is beaten by the next ball. The bails are off, but the on-field umpire is satisfied that the back foot was in.
Hafeez changes ends, but Miller pulls out the slog sweep and just clears the boundary at mid wicket. First six of the innings. Parnell favours the back foot as he settles in.
WICKET! McLaren c & b Shahid Afridi 8 (27). Shahid Afridi joins the attack, and strikes with his third ball. McLaren went on the drive but got it low on the bat and Afridi grabbed it at ankle height. New man Parnell has to survive a stumping appeal as he stretches forward.
McLaren is starting to look a bit more adventurous now, but is struggling to beat the field.
Another tight over from Hafeez, giving up just two singles.
Another quiet over from Wahab Riaz. SA will not want to do much more than survive for a good few overs still.
Mohammad Hafeez is into the attack now, relieving Ajmal. He bowls a few quicker balls as the batsmen are prepared to tap away a few singles.
A sweetly timed off drive from Miller goes away to the boundary to break the shackeles imposed by the Pakistanis for just a moment.
McLaren manages to nudge one away to deny Ajmal a maiden. Perhaps SA have decided that the best option now is just to see off the off-spinner.
McLaren swings at a delivery and is beaten, wide is the call. In this parlous position SA will appreciate any extra. Miller does well to spot Wahab's cunning slower ball but can only pat it back to him.
WICKET! De Villiers c & b Saeed Ajmal 4 (12). Ajmal is wrecking the South African line up. De Villiers comes down the track, but the leading edge flies back to the bowler. Ajmal reaches up with the right hand but can only parry it the first time, but holds on at the second attempt. Ajmal has 3 for 7 in 5 overs.
Wahab Riaz joins the attack, and his first ball is worked to leg from outside off stump. Miller almost plays on in defence, getting an inside edge into the pad. An outside edge from Miller drops just short of the keeper. He edges the next as well, but this time the thicker edge flies away to 3rd man. The last ball beats him.
De Villiers pushes one down the ground and Miller gets off the mark by picking off a leg side delivery. South Africa can afford to be patient, while Pakistan realise that there is not much batting left after this pair.
Time to rebuild for South Africa. De Villiers defends solidly on the back foot. He swings at a fuller delivery with hardly any foot movement, and is beaten. No maiden though as he knocks the last ball away to mid on.
WICKET! du Plessis lbw b Saeed Ajmal 12 (26). Du Plessis is looking all at sea against Ajmal. After a number of appeals, up goes the finger of Richard Illingworth. Du Plessis calls for the REVIEW, but it is wasted as the ball was shown to be hitting leg stump.
Irfan is back and tests the patience of du Plessis with a few wide deliveries, one of which was too wide. He adjusts his line, and du Plessis plays a lovely straight drive as the drinks cart comes out.
Ajmal goes around the wicket and slides it past Smith's bat. Umar Akmal immediately asks Misbah to call for the REVIEW, which he does. It was very very close, but the not out decision remains and Pakistan have lost their only review. Smith might have hit his back pad. At the other end, du Plessis is playing the paddle sweep early on. WICKET! Smith st Umar Akmal b Saeed Ajmal 20 (25). The reprieve is short-lived as Smith is drawn forward to another one that slides past his outside edge, and Umar Akmal has the bails off in a flash. No need to go upstairs for that one.
Du Plessis takes a leaf from Smith's book, stepping across to an off stump delivery and working it delightfully through mid wicket. That is Tanvir's sixth over and perhaps he will want a rest now.
PowerPlay done, and Saeed Ajmal is on immediately. He has a shout for LBW against du Plessis, but the right hander had put in a big stride. A nudge to mid wicket gets him off the mark.
WICKET! Duminy c Umar Amin b Sohail Tanvir 20 (36). Tanvir bowls a harmless long hop, but with the whole legside boundary at his mercy Duminy pulls it straight to square leg. He will be furious with himself. Du Plessis is and twice edges short of the slip cordon. The PowerPlay ends in a wicket maiden.
Smith rides the bounce well to deal with a shorter ball from Irfan, keeping Wahab Riaz busy down at third man. Smith will keep the bowler thinking as he moves across again to work an accurate delivery to the leg side.
Tanvir mixes up his pace, and this time restricts the batsmen to a single apiece.
Irfan drops one short and encourages Duminy to pull. The top edge flies away safely to the fine leg boundary. Smith has to dive to make his ground off the next ball and the third umpire is called in to decide, but he had actually got past the stumps already let alone the crease. Duminy celebrates with a well timed back cut for a more authentic boundary. Irfan pulls out three dot balls to end the over and salvage some pride.
Where does Tanvir bowl? he zeroes in to the off stump, but Smith gets across and plays a delicate leg glance for his first boundary. Duminy again gets the inside edge as he goes on the drive to a slower ball.
The big man does well to get down to stop a Duminy straight drive. Duminy then rides the bounce of a shorter ball to steer to third man. Smith continues to nudge to leg side, as is his wont. Irfan does hit the pads, but the shout is unsuccessful and there is no review called.
A thick inside edge from Duminy just misses the stumps again, but he returns to his more accustomed elegance even on defence. Some more well-timed drives can't get through the gaps. Eventually he does place it neatly between extra cover and mid off to deny Tanvir the maiden.
Two slips in place, but both left to twiddle their fingers as Irfan strays down the leg-side to the left-handed Duminy. The lanky seamer soon corrects his line, though, with the batsman almost playing some sharp seam movement onto his stumps. Smith, meanwhile, dead-bats some rather placid bounce. And, of course, the mandatory sightscreen problems.
Sohail Tanvir takes up the cudgels. Smith is full of confidence after his Test 200, and starts working him to leg from the start. Duminy is driving confidently, but keeps hitting fielders.
WICKET! Ingram c Umar Akmal b Mohammad Irfan 0 (2). Irfan makes the early strike as Ingram, coming off a rich vein of form in domestic competition, prods outside off stump and edges to the keeper. Duminy is in at number 3. Irfan winces as he uses the boot to stop a solid drive from Duminy.
Umpires Richard Illingworth and Shozab Raza, openers Smith and Ingram and the Pakistan XI head out to the middle for the start of play.
"We would have batted first as well, the wicket looks very dry and Sharjah is always a great venue to play. The wicket will assist the spinners, hopefully we will restrict them to a decent total. We are playing with three seamers."
"It looks a good wicket, we will try to bat well and put Pakistan under pressure with runs on the board. We are told that 230 to 240 will be good on this surface. Pakistan are a really good side and we are looking forward to this challenge. Vernon Philander misses out."
Ahmed Shehzad, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Amin, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan.
AB de Villiers, Graeme Smith, Colin Ingram, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Ryan McLaren, Wayne Parnell, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Imran Tahir.
Pakistan recall batsmen Umar Amin and Umar Akmal, while the Proteas select leg-spinner Imran Tahir and opener Graeme Smith.
Captain AB de Villiers triumphs in the flip of the coin and South Africa will bat first.
Hello and welcome to our over-by-over commentary of the first ODI - in the five-match series - between Pakistan and South Africa at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.