Noman stars in Pakistan’s 93-run win over South Africa

By our correspondent
LAHORE: Pakistan made a dream start to their 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship campaign, defeating the previous season champions South Africa by 93 runs on the fourth day of the opening Test at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
The victory was powered by a match-winning performance from left-arm spinner Noman Ali who claimed remarkable match figures of 10 for 191.
Chasing a target of 277, South Africa resumed their second innings at 51-2 but were bundled out for 183 in 60.5 overs. Dewald Brevis (54) and Ryan Rickelton (45) were the only notable contributors with the bat. Noman Ali added four more wickets to his first-innings haul, finishing with 4-79 in the second innings to complete his third ten-wicket match haul in Test cricket.
Despite little assistance for the pacers, Shaheen Shah Afridi provided crucial breakthroughs and ended with an impressive figures 4-33 in 8.5 overs. Off-spinner Sajid Khan chipped in with 2-38, giving him match figures of 5-136.
South Africa were 51-2 at stumps on Day 3 with opener Ryan Rickelton unbeaten on 29 and Tony de Zorzi on 16. Pakistan began Day 4 strongly, with Shaheen Afridi striking early by trapping de Zorzi lbw with a delivery that stayed low. The decision was upheld on review as umpire’s call. De Zorzi, who had scored a century in the first innings, added nothing to his overnight total and fell for 16 off 47 balls.
Noman Ali then removed Tristan Stubbs, who perished attempting a reverse sweep. The ball caught the edge and Agha Salman took a sharp catch at first slip. Stubbs managed just 2 runs off 8 balls, leaving the visitors in trouble at 55-4.
Dewald Brevis and Rickelton tried to steady the innings with a counter-attacking partnership of 73 for the fifth wicket. Brevis played aggressively, reaching his second Test half-century, striking two sixes and six fours. His most productive over came against Noman, from whom he took 15 runs in the 34th over, including two fours and a six.
However, it was Noman who eventually got the better of him, bowling Brevis with a delivery that pitched on leg and spun sharply past the bat to crash into off stump. Brevis departed for a run-a-ball 54, leaving South Africa teetering at 128-5.
Shortly afterward, Sajid Khan dismissed Rickelton, who edged a spinning delivery to Agha Salman at slip. Rickelton, who had earlier survived a stumping chance off Noman, made 45 off 145 balls, including four boundaries. South Africa went to lunch at 137-6.
Post-lunch, Sajid trapped Senuran Muthusamy lbw for 6 as the batter missed a sweep shot. The decision was reviewed but stayed with the umpire’s call, reducing South Africa to 144-7.
Kyle Verreynne and Simon Harmer added 29 runs for the eighth wicket but Shaheen Afridi returned to remove Verreynne lbw for 19. The left-armer then bowled Prenelan Subrayen (8) and Kagiso Rabada (0) in one over to wrap up the innings and secure a commanding win for Pakistan.
Earlier in the day, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan suffered a painful blow to the chest from a Hasan Ali’s delivery that he failed to collect cleanly. After receiving first aid he continued behind the stumps.
In the first innings, Pakistan had posted 378 before being bowled out for 167 in their second innings. South Africa managed 269 in their first innings.
The second and final Test of the two-match series will be played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi from October 20 to 24. It will be followed by a three-match T20I series in Pindi and Lahore, and a three-match ODI series to be held at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.