Pakistan beat South Africa by 93 runs in Lahore Test

Pakistan began their 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship campaign on a high note, defeating reigning champions South Africa by 93 runs on the fourth day of the opening Test at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.

The win was orchestrated by left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who delivered a match-defining performance with outstanding figures of 10 for 191 across both innings.

Set a challenging target of 277, South Africa resumed their second innings on 51-2 but were dismissed for 183 in 60.5 overs. Dewald Brevis (54) and Ryan Rickelton (45) were the only batters to offer resistance. Noman Ali added four more wickets to his first-innings haul, finishing with 4-79 in the second innings to complete his third ten-wicket match haul in Test cricket.

Despite minimal assistance from the surface, Shaheen Shah Afridi provided vital breakthroughs, claiming 4-33 in 8.5 overs, while off-spinner Sajid Khan contributed 2-38 to finish with match figures of 5-136.

South Africa began Day Four at 51-2, with Rickelton unbeaten on 29 and Tony de Zorzi on 16. Pakistan struck early when Shaheen Afridi trapped de Zorzi lbw with a delivery that kept low , a decision that stayed with the umpire after review. De Zorzi, the first-innings centurion, failed to add to his overnight score and fell for 16 off 47 balls.

Noman Ali then removed Tristan Stubbs, who fell attempting a reverse sweep that resulted in a sharp catch by Agha Salman at first slip. Stubbs managed only 2 runs off 8 balls, leaving South Africa reeling at 55-4.

Brevis and Rickelton steadied the innings with a 73-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Brevis played positively, reaching his second Test fifty with two sixes and six boundaries. His most productive moment came in Noman’s 34th over, from which he took 15 runs.

However, Noman had the final say, bowling Brevis with a delivery that pitched on leg and turned sharply to hit off stump. Brevis departed for a brisk 54, leaving South Africa wobbling at 128-5.

Soon after, Sajid Khan dismissed Rickelton, who edged a spinning delivery to Agha Salman at slip. Rickelton, who had earlier survived a close stumping call, made a patient 45 off 145 balls. South Africa went to lunch struggling at 137-6.

After the break, Sajid trapped Senuran Muthusamy lbw for 6 as South Africa slipped to 144-7. Kyle Verreynne and Simon Harmer added a brief 29-run stand before Shaheen Afridi returned to end any hopes of resistance. The left-armer trapped Verreynne lbw for 19, then cleaned up Prenelan Subrayen (8) and Kagiso Rabada (0) in the same over to complete the demolition and seal Pakistan’s 93-run triumph.

In the first innings, Pakistan had scored 378 before being dismissed for 167 in their second outing, while South Africa managed 269 in their first innings.

The second and final Test of the series will take place at Rawalpindi’s Pindi Cricket Stadium from October 20 to 24, followed by a three-match T20I series in Pindi and Lahore, and a three-match ODI series scheduled for Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium.