Rising star Saim Ayub hit his second century of the series – and his third in five innings – as Pakistan completed a series clean sweep over South Africa in the third ODI at the Wanderers on Sunday.

The left-handed opening batsman made a sparkling 101 off 94 balls in a Pakistan total of 308-9.

Heinrich Klaasen thrashed 81 off 43 balls for the Proteas – but the hosts were beaten by 36 runs chasing an adjusted target of 308. The match was reduced to 47 overs a side because of rain.

Twenty-two-year-old Ayub hit 113* in the second ODI against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo last month and 109 in the series opener against South Africa in Paarl last week.

In between his ODI appearances he made an unbeaten 98 in the second T20I against South Africa in Centurion.

Ayub was named Man of the Match and Man of the Series.

“It’s important because we won but it is for all the team, not just me,” he said. “The senior players helped me a lot.”

HIGHLIGHTS: Proteas vs Pakistan (3rd ODI)

In contrast to Ayub’s form, his opening partner Abdullah Shafique was out for his third successive duck after Pakistan were sent in to bat.

But Ayub was seldom troubled as he played shots all around the wicket in partnerships of 114 with Babar Azam (52) and 93 with captain Mohammad Rizwan (53).

Ayub fell to debutant Corbin Bosch, caught behind attempting an audacious flick to leg, after hitting 13 fours and two sixes.

Bosch, the son of the late Test and ODI player Tertius Bosch, received a call-up after injuries hit South Africa’s fast bowling resources.

For the third successive match, Klaasen was the only South African to make a half-century. He kept the Proteas ahead of the required run rate until he was sixth man out, caught on the square leg boundary off Shaheen Shah Afridi with the total on 194 in the 29th over.

Ayub followed up his century by taking one for 34 in 10 overs with his mixture of off-spin and carrom balls, claiming the key wicket of David Miller and producing the most economical figures by any bowler in the match.

© Agence France-Presse

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