Younis Khan overcame a difficult pitch with an attractive half-century as Pakistan
whipped South Africa by seven wickets in the final ICC Cricket World
Cup warm-up match here on Friday. The top-order batsman smashed 79 to help
his team surpass South Africa's modest total of 199 with more than five overs
to spare. 
Younis showed there were no demons in the track as he batted
with authority against the South African attack, hitting one six and nine fours
in his impressive 98-ball knock.
Younis was not the only Pakistani batsman among runs as opener
Mohammad Hafeez scored a stylish 49 to put his team on course for an
emphatic victory. The pair put on 68 for the second wicket.
Mohammad Yousuf also gained valuable batting practice
ahead of his team's opening ICC Cricket World Cup match against the West
Indies at Jamaica on March 13, scoring a fluent 48 not out. He put on 100
for the third wicket with Younis.
South Africa were not so fortunate as their batting left a lot to be desired
in the second successive match. They managed just 192 against debutants Ireland
in their opening game after being reduced to 91-8 at one stage.
They failed to solve their batting problems against Pakistan as only Loots
Bosman gave a good account of himself with a solid 53 against the pace-spin
combination.
Pakistani seamers Mohammad Sami and Umar Gul, and off-spinners
Hafeez and Shoaib Malik grabbed two wickets apiece.
South Africa's total owed much of its substance to Bosman,
who defied the Pakistani bowlers with a sensible 57-ball knock which included
one six and four boundaries.
South Africa's hopes of gaining valuable batting practice ahead
of the ICC Cricket World Cup suffered a setback when they lost openers Smith
and AB de Villiers with just five runs on the board.
They were reeling at 27-3 when Herschelle Gibbs departed
after making 11, but Jacques Kallis (29) and Ashwell Prince (35) steadied
the innings with a 66-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Bosman held the innings together after early blows, but South
Africa's final total was too small to put pressure on Pakistan.
South Africa are in Group A with Australia, the Netherlands
and Scotland, while Pakistan are in Group D with the West Indies, Ireland and
Zimbabwe. The top two sides from each group will advance to the next
Super Eight stage.
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