Date-stamped : 13 Jan95 - 10:31 4 Nation Madela Cup - Final (#2 of 3) South Africa v Pakistan Played at Johannesburg (D/N), 12 January 1995 Pakistan's world championship crown slipped slightly Thursday after South Africa scored a 157-run victory to clinch the best- of-three cricket final in the Mandela Trophy quadrangular series here. South Africa won the first leg at Newlands in Cape Town by 37 runs. Captain Hansie Cronje and his team rattled up 266 off their 50 overs and then bundled the World Champions out for a meagre 109 in just 32.3 overs. "A fantastic effort guys," Cronje said afterwards, "I hope this is the first step to something a lot bigger." Written off after a poor series in Pakistan last year, the South Africans have bounced back to first beat New Zealand in a three- Test series earlier this month and now Pakistan in a limited overs contest. It was also South Africa's biggest ever triumph in a limited overs international, eclipsing their 124-run win over Sri Lanka in Colombo. Fanie de Villiers started the bombardment, taking the all- important wickets of Aamir Sohail (0) with the third ball of his first over, Ijaz Ahmed (4) with the first ball of his second over and Saeed Anwar (3) with the first ball of his third. Allan Donald, bowling off a shortened run-up, showed that a five-month lay-off due to injury, had not dulled his form and sent captain Salim Malik (12) back to the dressing room. Inzamam Ul-Haq (19) and Rashid Latif (0) followed in their captain's footsteps with the second and sixth ball of Donald's sixth over. Asif Mujtaba (24) and Wasim Akram (26) fought a brief but spirited fight back, putting on 55 in 57 minutes. Dave Richardson, Man of the Series in the Tests against New Zea- land, enhanced his distinction with five catches behind. Sent in to bat by Malik, Gary Kirsten and all-rounder Mike Rindel opened the innings and reached 100 off 128 balls and 150 off 185 balls. Kirsten (87) was eventually out-stumped trying to sweep Malik and Rindel (106) -- his highest knock at this level -- was run out after putting on 53 for the second wicket with Cronje. Daryll Cullinan (5) and Jonty Rhodes (6) went cheaply as the search for runs hotted up. Pakistan will be looking at the one-off five-day Test against South Africa starting January 19 in Johannesburg to restore some pride. ====> more Led by a 190-run partnership by Gary Kirsten and Mike Rindel, South Africa scored a stunning 266-109 victory Thursday over Pak- istan to win the best-of-three Benson and Hedges quadrangular limited overs cricket final. The left-handers drove South Africa to a lead that unsettled Pakistan's batsmen, who tumbled all out in short order to sharp fielding and blistering pace bowling by Allan Donald and Fanie de Villiers. Rindel hit a maiden century of 106 runs off only 132 balls in 175 minutes. Kirsten stroked 87 runs off 111 balls in 137 minutes. Their partnership was the best ever by South Africans in a limit- ed overs match. They blew holes in Pakistan's famed pace bowling, retiring Waqir Younis and Wasam Akrim, then pounded the opposition spinners. South African Captain Hansie Cronje slammed 37 to build the lead. South Africa went out in five wickets in the allotted 50 overs, while Pakistan was all out after a meager 32,3. South Africa won the first encounter Tuesday, 215 to 178. The limited overs victory prolongs South Africa's glow after de- feating New Zealand last week to become the first team since 1888 to win a Test series after losing the first match. Thanks :: Reuter and AP Contributed by Vicky (vigneswa@risky.ecs.umass.edu)