Despite a fighting stand by Wandile Makwetu, Pakistan beat the young Proteas by three wickets in the quarter-finals of the U19 World Cup.
Makwetu once again answered the call, digging in to rescue his team from a precarious position of 43-4 with a determined innings of 60 off 65 balls as he dragged his team to a score of 189-9.
He was given solid support from Jean du Plessis (21 off 44) in a stand of 59, and then by Jason Niemand (35 off 64) as they took the score to 135-6, when Makwetu fell to the pace of Muhammad Musa, mistiming a pull to be taken at deep square leg.
Makwetu, who scored an unbeaten 99 against the West Indies in the group phase, had at least stabilised the ship, even if it was making heavy weather of its passage. Niemand finally departed in the 49th over, bowled by Arshad Iqbal, after seeing two of his support team, Jade de Klerk (16) and Gerald Coetsee (3) run out in a nine-ball spell.
The run-rate of 3.78 was a tough ask to defend, although the South Africans must have had hope when they had Pakistan at 111-5. But Ali Zaryab doused the flame with an excellent innings of 74 off 111 balls.
