South Africa 182 (Dippenaar 47, Shoaib 3-50) beat Pakistan 120 (Wasim 43*, Pollock 3-23) by 62 runs
Scorecard

Pakistan and South Africa are two evenly matched sides, but so far in this series they have proved incapable of an evenly matched contest. After a runaway 132-run victory at Durban, and a record-breaking riposte from Pakistan at Port Elizabeth, South Africa wrapped up a low-scoring third match by 62 runs, after Pakistan slumped to 55 for 8. Their victory, however, was thanks in no small part to the atmospheric conditions.

Waqar Younis had scarcely been able to hide his disappointment on losing the toss. Buffalo Park has notoriously poor floodlighting, and - as subsequent events demonstrated - the moist evening atmosphere can have a devastating effect on run-chases. Even so, Pakistan had given themselves every chance of defying the pre-match assumptions by restricting South Africa to 182, but when the lights came on and the dew came out, they were powerless.

Shaun Pollock was the pick of the South African attack. With a meagre total to defend, he was truly irresistible, seaming the ball both ways at will and enticing the edge of the bat with every delivery. He started the Pakistan collapse by removing Salim Elahi, via a fenced edge to Jacques Kallis at second slip (20 for 1), and when Shahid Afridi followed a massive clubbed six with a tentative push to Mark Boucher (27 for 2), both openers had fallen inside the first seven overs.

At the other end, Makhaya Ntini's pace and accuracy was rewarded with two prime scalps: Abdul Razzaq, who was caught in two minds before poking a searing leg-cutter to Kallis, and Inzamam-ul-Haq, who looked distinctly nonplussed to be adjudged caught-behind for a second-ball duck (33 for 4). Six runs later, Yousuf Youhana was bowled by Pollock for 5, shouldering arms to one that zipped off the pitch, and at 39 for 5, the result was beyond doubt

Younis Khan and Rashid Latif ground Pakistan towards a total of some description, but Allan Donald quickly ended their resistance, before Saqlain Mushtaq smacked Kallis to a diving Andrew Hall at mid-off (55 for 8). Only Wasim Akram, who massaged the total with some lusty blows, was able to come to terms with the vagaries of the conditions. But his unbeaten 43 came too late to repair the damage.

It was a familiar tale at East London, and less than Pakistan deserved after they had put in a disciplined and unrelenting performance in the field. Every one of their five bowlers played their part, and each of them chipped in with their own moment of magic – from Wasim's inswinging yorker to remove Hall to Shoaib Akhtar's high-velocity duel with Graeme Smith (44).

Smith stole 14 runs from Shoaib's blistering first over, but fell to an impeccable off-stump lifter in his second, and from 70 for 1, South Africa subsided to 81 for 4. Kallis and Rhodes were extracted by Saqlain, and it was left to Boeta Dippenaar and Boucher to repair the innings as best they could. In the final analysis, Dippenaar's 81-ball 47 proved invaluable, along with an unbeaten 32 from Pollock. But the manner of the win will have left Pakistan feeling short-changed.

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