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Salman Ali Agha’s unbeaten century and Haris Rauf’s four-wicket burst helped Pakistan pip Sri Lanka by just six runs in the opening ODI of the three-match series as they successfully defended the 299-run total Tuesday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.Pakistan’s pace arsenal led by Haris (4-61) picked up eight of the nine Sri Lankan wickets to fall as Faheem Ashraf and Naseem Shah also chipped in with two scalps apiece. Meanwhile, Mohammad Nawaz outfoxed Sri Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka at a crucial juncture in the chase.Wanindu Hasaranga top-scored for his side with a 52-ball 59 hitting seven fours and kept them well in the hunt till 49th over after walking in to bat at 191-6, when Sri Lanka required 109 runs off the remaining 102 balls.Hasaranga – who struck his fifth half-century in the format – stitched a 19-run stand with Kamindu Mendis, a 42-ball 37-run stand with Dushmantha Chameera and finally a 26-ball 32-run ninth-wicket stand with Maheesh Theekshana (21 not out, 18b, 2x4s) before being caught at long-on boundary off Naseem in the penultimate over.With 21 required off the last over delivered by Hussain Talat, Theekshana threatened Pakistan with two consecutive fours off the third and fourth ball before only gathering two runs off the remaining two as Sri Lanka agonisingly fell six runs short.In pursuit of the 300-run target, Sri Lankan opening duo of debutant Kamil Mishara (38, 36b, 5x4s, 1x6) and Pathum Nissanka (29, 39b, 3x4s) got their team to a flying start as they belted 85 runs off the opening 11.5 overs including 75 in the Powerplay.Haris missed out on a hat-trick after he he got Mishara caught at mid-off and castled Kusal Mendis for a golden duck. He then returned to further dent Sri Lanka’s audacious progress by getting Nissanka caught behind with the scorecard reading 90-3 in 13.2 overs.Sadeera Samarawickrama (39, 48b, 6x4s) and Charith Asalanka (32, 49b, 2x4s) then rebuilt the innings with a dogged 80-ball 57-run stand, which was again broken by Haris courtesy an outstanding one-handed grab by Babar Azam at first slip to remove the former.Asalanka then put on 36 runs with Janith Liyanage before Nawaz got him stumped in the 32nd over. Liyanage, who lifted Sri Lanka’s spirits with two fours and as many sixes in a 24-ball 28 was bowled by Naseem in the 33rd over with 191 on the board and four wickets in hand.Earlier, Pakistan were asked to bat first and Sri Lanka took 4.1 overs to draw first blood as Asitha Fernando trapped Saim Ayub leg-before for a 14-ball six following which Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman dug deep for a 54-run second-wicket stand.Hasaranga then cut open Pakistan’s innings with three valuable scalps getting Fakhar (32, 55b, 2x4s) stumped, Rizwan trapped leg-before and beating Babar’s defenses to hit the stumps as the hosts were reduced to 95-4 in 23.2 overs.Salman – who brought up his second ODI ton (105 not out, 87b, 9x4s) – joined forces with Hussain Talat (62, 63b, 6x4s, 1x6) to lift Pakistan out of the hole as the duo put on a game-changing 138-run stand for the fifth wicket.That Pakistan converted their 96-4 from first 25 overs to 299-5 by collecting 203 runs in the second half of the innings was due to the Salman and Hussain’s counterattacking effort. The duo picked the pace after 35th over when they were 152-4, getting at least a boundary off each over except 40th and 43rd.Hussain fell to Theekshana in the 44th over before Nawaz arrived to provide Pakistan a late flourish with his brisk 23-ball 36 not out hitting five four and one six. He also shared an unbeaten 66-run stand with Salman.Salman brought up his century off 83 balls in the 48th over – which yielded 20 runs - hitting Chameera for two consecutive fours and a single off the first three balls. Pakistan crucially took 22 runs off the last two overs of their innings including a four on the last ball to post their fourth-highest ODI total at the venue.Brief ScoresPakistan 299-5, 50 overs (Salman Ali Agha 105 not out, Hussain Talat 62, Mohammad Nawaz 36 not out, Fakhar Zamn 32, Babar Azam 29; Wanindu Hasaranga 3-54) bt Sri Lanka 293-9, 50 overs (Wanindu Hasaranga 59, Sadeera Samarawickrama 39, Kamil Mishara 38, Charith Asalanka 32, Pathum Nissanka 29, Janith Liyanage 28, Maheesh Theekshana 21 not out; Haris Rauf 4-61, Faheem Ashraf 2-49, Naseem Shah 2-55)

Quinton de Kock hit a brilliant century and Nandre Burger grabbed four wickets as South Africa thumped Pakistan by eight wickets in their second one-day international Thursday.Playing his second ODI after reversing his 2023 decision to retire from the format, the dashing De Kock smashed an unbeaten 123 to anchor a 270-run chase with 9.5 overs in spare at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. South African victory levelled the three-match series at 1-1 after Pakistan won the first match by two wickets. The third and final match is on Saturday, all in Faisalabad.De Kock put on a solid 81 for the opening wicket with Lhuan-dre Pretorius (46), before compiling a 153-run stand for the second wicket with Tony de Zorzi, who scored an attractive 63-ball 76.The left-handed trio took the attack to Pakistan’s pace quartet, with De Kock knocking eight fours and seven sixes while Pretorius had seven boundaries and one maximum.De Kock reached his 22nd ODI hundred with a couple off a luckless Mohammad Wasim, who saw Mohammad Nawaz drop the wicketkeeper-batter on 15. De Zorzi sped up the scoring rate with three sixes and nine boundaries before he was caught off Faheem Ashraf with 36 needed. Skipper Matthew Breetzke took the winning single, making 17 not out.“I set myself high goals so I am happy to bat well today,” said De Kock. “I think Nandre set us well with early wickets and then we batted well to chase that down.”Earlier, South African fast bowler Burger registered his best ODI figures of 4-46 to keep the home team down to 269-9.The 30-year-old ripped out Pakistan’s first three wickets in his opening three overs after the hosts won the toss and batted.From 22-3, however, the hosts rebuilt the innings and half-centuries from opener Saim Ayub and Salman Agha, who added 92 for the fourth wicket, and later from Nawaz helped them to a fighting total. Burger struck with his third delivery, having opener Fakhar Zaman caught behind by De Kock for a duck.He then struck twice in his third over: crowd favourite Babar Azam was caught in the slips for 11 from the first ball and four balls later Mohammad Rizwan chopped on to his stumps for four. Ayub hit 53 off 66 balls with a six and five fours, while Agha made a more docile 69 from 106 deliveries with five boundaries as the pair revived the innings. Ayub hit his second ODI fifty before giving Corbin Bosch a return catch in the 25th over, while Agha was bowled by Bosch in the 41st.Down the order, Nawaz blasted a run-a-ball 59 with four sixes and three fours while all-rounder Faheem made 28 as Pakistan plundered 90 runs in the final 10 overs.“I think we put up a good total but did not bowl and field well,” said Shaheen. “We will come back strongly.”BRIEF SCORES: South Africa 270 for 2 (de Kock 123*, de Zorzi 76, Ashreef 1-40) beat Pakistan 269 for 9 (Agha 69, Nawaz 59, Burger 4-46) by eight wickets.