Abdul Razzaq century stuns South Africa in one-dayer

Abdul Razzaq hit a sensational 109 not out from 72 balls with 10 sixes as Pakistan staged an astonishing recovery to beat South Africa in Abu Dhabi.

Chasing 287 to level up the five-match one-day series at 1-1, Pakistan needed an improbable 53 from the last 24 balls with three wickets standing.

Razzaq attacked Albie Morkel and Charl Langeveldt with brutal efficiency.

And the winning hit came off the penultimate ball when Morkel was crashed through the covers for four.

Pakistan had performed poorly in the 2-0 Twenty20 series defeat to the same opponents and were then swept to one side in the first ODI.

In this game, Colin Ingram fired his second century in only his fourth ODI innings as South Africa put up 286-8, before Pakistan struggled to 70-4 in the 19th over. A familiar script appeared to be writing itself.

The first suggestions that there might be a surprise ending came when Shahid Afridi hammered a rapid 49, though it was the stand between Fawad Alam (48) and Razzaq - batting at seven in the order - that really began to make South Africa wonder.

When Alam became Langeveldt's 100th ODI victim in the 42nd over, slicing a catch to extra cover to end an 81-run stand from 12.3 overs, the momentum was lost for a while.

Razzaq, who joined a select group of eight men to have hit at least 10 sixes in an ODI innings, went ballistic in the 47th over, which began with a required run rate in an excess of 13.

Three sixes were pummelled off Langeveldt (3-75), and although a succession of tail-enders were run out in the process Razzaq managed to retain enough of the strike to keep his team in with a hope.

The next two overs went for a combined 19, leaving 11 wanted from the last set of six balls, and crucially Razzaq was facing.

He went to 99 from the second ball with his ninth six, hit the next one way over deep mid-wicket to go to 105 and could afford a dot ball before carving the winning strike from Morkel's fifth.