It was a crushing victory for South Africa and a remarkable comeback considering they had lost the first two matches by convincing margins. After dismissing Pakistan for just 192 the Proteas kept the hosts well and truly out of the game with the bat. In the absence of skipper Graeme Smith, who was serving a one match ban, the stand in opening pair of Boeta Dippenaar and Herschelle Gibbs got South Africa off to the perfect start with a vital 75 run stand for the first wicket.

But Dippenaar ensured there would be no collapses as he combined with Jacques Kallis in a solid 93 run stand for the second wicket that all but took the game away from Pakistan. With South Africa needing just 25 for victory Inzamam Ul-Haqw brought back Mohammad Sami for a last hurrah. The change had immediate effect as with just his second delivery Sami deceived Kallis with a short ball that snuck below the bat and onto off stump.

Just two balls later Sami struck again, catching Dippenaar on the crease and dead in front of middle for a superb 74. It was proving to be an extraordinary spell of play as first ball of the next over Jacques Rudolph had a waft outside the off to Razzaq and edged behind only for Latif to drop the chance. Shoaib Akhtar came back into the attack in the next over and induced another edge from Rudolph only for it to fall centimeters short of Ul-Haq at first slip.

But it was all too little too late for Pakistan as Rudolph and Neil McKenzie prevented an unlikely late upset to clinch the sereis for South Africa.