Waqar whacks South Africa in Sharjah

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates - Cricket in Sharjah is an artificial concept at the best of times, but the Coca-Cola Cup finally sparked to life here on Friday night as South Africa lost the final to Pakistan by an agonising 16 runs.

They will jet in to Johannesburg International airport on Saturday morning, jet-lagged and disappointed, but secure in the knowledge that they have a Test series win in India under their belts and at last the new-era one-day side - with players such as Nantie Hayward and Neil McKenzie having enhanced their reputation here - is beginning to take shape.

Batting second, South Africa stumbled to precisely the poor start they had hoped to avoid. Herschelle Gibbs, opening the innings with McKenzie, was out first for five, being caught by Inzamam-ul Haq off the whippy Wasim Akram.

Jacques Kallis followed 18 runs later, caught behind by Moin Khan off Mohammed Akram for 11. Off the first ball of Akram's over, Kallis clipped him through mid-wicket for four but off the second, the Pakistani with the ungainly approach, appeared to get extra bounce; he tucked Kallis up slightly and the outside edge was duly deposited into Khan's gloves.

McKenzie was then joined by his captain. Cronje started off hesitantly - Akram squared him up perfectly early on only for the edge to fall short of Moin - but when he was on three, Cronje zipped a sweet glide through the legside, a shot that seemed to do wonders for his confidence. Then followed a heroic rearguard action from Cronje as he scored a run a ball, while his less experienced partner appeared to score a run an over.

He was severe on anything pitched up and played some classic lofted and cover-drives; he swatted one majestic six off Abdur Razzaq and brought up both the hundred and his fifty with a six off Shahid Afridi. Moin deemed Afridi to be a luxury he couldn't afford and replaced him with the off-spinner, Arshad Khan.

Khan was to be Cronje's undoing as he heaved him for a six, which only just cleared the ropes, shortly before perishing to a similar shot, being caught by Younis Khan on the deep square boundary for a majestic 79. Cronje's partnership with McKenzie realised 105; while McKenzie could never match Cronje's imperious fluency, he played an innings of grit and stature nonetheless, farming the strike and combining with both Derek Crookes (1) and Mark Boucher, as he brought up his maiden one-day fifty with a lap off Afridi for four.

He was out shortly afterwards for 58 as Boucher took over where he left off. In the end though, Boucher's bravery was not enough, as he lost Nicky Boje (0) and Lance Klusener (0) off consecutive deliveries and Shaun Pollock (14) later on. He went to his fifty with a spilled catch by Abdur Razzaq, hit a six the very next delivery off Waqar and, just as the improbable victory seemed possible, was bowled by Waqar's slower ball for 57.

The Pakistani innings was divided into three distinct phases. First came the plunder as the spectacularly gifted Imran Nazir and Afridi indulged in a bout of arresting strokeplay, which saw them bring up the hundred partnership in the 18th over as they eventually posted an opening stand of 123.

On a wicket that looked much like a newly-fitted pane of glass so heavily had it been rolled, the two tucked into the South African attack with gusto, hitting countless drives over the top and generally fraying the South Africans' nerves to the extent that not even Pollock survived the carnage.

Neither Pakistan opener was without luck - Nazir got an outside edge to a Pollock slower ball but the catch didn't carry to Boucher - but of the two it was really Nazir who caught the eye. Once his fifty had been reached, he played one dinky cut off Steve Elworthy past Boucher's outstretched hand for four and generally played with elegance.

Phase two showed the South Africans at their best. When Afridi was on 52 he heaved the newly-introduced Lance Klusener over Kallis' head at orthodox mid-off. Kallis spun and chased but found the ball dropping as he overran it, plunging to his left at the last minute to take a miraculous catch.

At the other end, Crookes saw Nazir barrelling down the wicket, slid it down the leg-side and had him stumped for 69. Klusener, bowling a superbly cheeky spell of slower balls and seamers, then chipped in with the wicket of Younis Khan for four, as he, Crookes and Pollock managed to restrict the scoring rate to such an extent that only 27 runs were scored in the 10 overs between overs 25 and 35.

The third chapter of the Pakistani story found Kallis entering the plot once again as he tweezered out Yusuf Youhana (26) and Moin Khan (2) in his eighth over as Inzamam-ul Haq, who played quietly before reaching his fifty in the penultimate over, steered the innings towards a commanding total.

Klusener was by far South Africa's most impressive bowler, as he bowled a thrifty spell to record figures of 10-1-27-2; Kallis, despite being hammered early on, adjusted his line and was able to pick up two expensive wickets (10-0-57-2) while the other bowlers struggled to bowl on this plate-glass surface.