A look at how the stats stack up for Pakistan and South Africa ahead of their ICC World Twenty20 semi-final
S Rajesh17-Jun-2009The overall numbersAs you’d expect with a team which has won five games on the trot in the tournament, South Africa have excellent numbers with both bat and ball – they are marginally ahead of Pakistan in both aspects. Neither of the two teams are at the top of the tree in terms of batting stats – West Indies takes that honour – but with the ball South Africa and Pakistan are easily the two best sides in the competition. They have taken the most number of wickets in the tournament so far with 42 and 41, and are the only sides who have conceded less than seven runs per over.
TeamRunsBallsWicketsAverageRun ratePakistan7025593023.407.53South Africa7665902728.377.78
TeamRuns concededBalls bowledWicketsAverageEcon ratePakistan6475764115.786.73South Africa6005734214.286.28The Powerplay oversBoth South Africa and Pakistan have been among the more conservative teams with the bat during the first six overs, scoring at less than eight runs per over. South Africa, though, have been excellent at keeping wickets in hand, losing just three during the Powerplay overs all tournament, and averaging 77 per wicket. Their opening partnership of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis has been among the best in the competition. Pakistan, on the other hand, have lost nine wickets during the first six overs.
TeamRunsBallsWicketsAverageRun ratePakistan219180924.337.30South Africa231180377.007.70As bowling teams, South Africa have been far superior in the first six, taking 11 wickets – the second-highest, after England’s 13 – at an excellent average and economy rate.
TeamRuns concededBalls bowledWicketsAverageEcon ratePakistan239180734.147.96South Africa1841801116.726.13Wayne Parnell and Dale Steyn have been exceptional in the first six. Mohammad Aamer is the most successful for Pakistan, but he has been relatively expensive, going at seven-and-a-half per over.
BowlerRuns concededBalls bowledWicketsAverageEcon rateDale Steyn6260415.506.20Wayne Parnell4260410.504.20Mohammad Aamer9378423.257.15Abdul Razzaq3136215.505.16The middle overs – 7 to 14Pakistan have been the slightly stronger team overall in the middle overs, scoring at a better rate and taking four more wickets than the South African bowlers.
TeamRunsBallsWicketsAverageRun ratePakistan284235835.507.25South Africa269240833.626.72
TeamRuns concededBalls bowledWicketsAverageEcon ratePakistan2512401615.686.27South Africa2472401220.586.17The star bowler in the middle overs has been Shahid Afridi who has done a remarkable job of taking wickets and keeping the runs in check. In 114 deliveries he has taking eight wickets, an average of less than 15 balls per wicket, at an economy rate of only slightly more than five per over.
BowlerRuns concededBalls bowledWicketsAverageEcon rateShahid Afridi98114812.255.15Saeed Ajmal6060415.006.00Johan Botha7884419.505.57Roelof van der Merwe8290420.505.46Shoaib Malik5542155.007.85The last six oversSouth Africa have been the slightly better batting team in the last six overs, but both have been outstanding with the ball, conceding less than ten runs per wicket, and less than seven per over. That’s ensured that the batting teams have had little momentum towards the end of their innings.
TeamRunsBallsWicketsAverageRun ratePakistan1991441315.308.29South Africa2661701616.629.38
TeamRuns concededBalls bowledWicketsAverageEcon ratePakistan157156188.726.03South Africa169153198.896.62Umar Gul has taken the most number of wickets in the last six overs, but there have been several other star performers from both teams. Saeed Ajmal has been outstanding, both in terms of taking wickets and keeping runs in check, and the same applies to Steyn, Parnell and van der Merwe as well.
BowlerRuns concededBalls bowledWicketsAverageEcon rateUmar Gul656988.125.65Saeed Ajmal526077.425.20Dale Steyn4942412.257.00Wayne Parnell5141412.757.46Roelof van der Merwe243054.804.80How the runs have been scoredThere’s little to choose in the manner in which the two teams have scored the runs in this tournament: the dot-ball percentages are almost equal, but Pakistan have, surprisingly, scored a higher percentage of their runs in singles, twos and threes.
TeamDotsPercentage1s, 2s, 3sPercentage4s, 6sPercentagePakistan20336.3128550.987012.52South Africa21235.9328648.479215.59The extras factorSouth Africa are clearly ahead in his area: they’ve bowled one no-ball and 17 wides, to Pakistan’s eight no-balls and 23 wides.