Umar Gul blasted 32 runs off 17 balls and Umar Akmal struck an unbeaten 43 as Pakistan beat South Africa by two wickets in a nail-biting Super Eight stage match of the World Twenty20 on Friday.
Chasing a 134-run victory target, Pakistan were reeling at 76 for seven in the 15th over when Gul joined Umar Akmal (43 not out) and they added 49 runs off 4.3 overs to turn the group two match on its head.
Number nine batsman Gul blasted three sixes and two boundaries in his entertaining cameo before being dismissed in the 19th over but Akmal batted till the end as Pakistan scampered home with two balls to spare.
Pakistan needed nine runs off the last over sent down by Morne Morkel and Akmal hit a six off the second delivery, a full toss, before taking a single.
Saeed Ajmal edged the fourth delivery to boundary to score the winning run.
It capped a stunning comeback by Pakistan who lost their top three batsmen in a span of seven balls.
Dale Steyn (3-22) drew first blood removing Imran Nazir (14) before left-arm spinner Robin Peterson dismissed Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez (15) and the scoreless Nasir Jamshed in his first over to peg them back.
South African bowlers maintained the pressure and were rewarded with wickets until Gul and Akmal mounted a spectacular counter-attack.
Earlier opting to bat, South Africa overcame a top order crisis to post 133 for six wickets, a total built largely around J.P. Duminy's 38-ball 48 that included two sixes and as many boundaries.
The Proteas struggled against Pakistan's four-pronged spin attack and were 66 for four wickets in the 13th over before Duminy and captain AB de Villiers (25) scored some brisk runs to help them to a below-par total on a slow track at the R. Premadasa Stadium.
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