August 13  
Gibbs helps South Africa crush Pakistan

TANGIERS: Herschelle Gibbs scored 114 and took two catches to steer South Africa to a 54-run victory over Pakistan in the opening match of the three-nation Morocco Cup here on Monday. The gifted opener batted till the 45th over to compile his seventh one-day century as South Africa piled up 283 for nine from 50 overs after electing to take first strike. Pakistan were shot out for 229 in reply with Lance Klusener picking up three late wickets after Jacques Kallis, Nicky Boje and Allan Donald had wrecked the top order with two wickets each.

TANGIER: Pakistan's captain Waqar Younis (L) celebrates with Imran Nazir (R) after taking the wicket of South Africa's Jacques Kallis during the opening one-day game in the Morocco Cup Series at the Tangier Cricket Stadium on August 12, 2002

Sri Lanka are the third team in the 250,000-dollar limited-overs tournament being held for the first time in this north African country.

The South Africans, wearing black arm bands in their first match since the tragic death of former captain Hansie Cronje on June 1, were joined by the Pakistanis in a minute's silence before play to mark his memory. 

Some 500 Moroccans, who turned up at the picturesque Tangiers stadium to get their first glimpse of the willow game, watched the South Africans outplay Pakistan. 

Boje smashed 52 off 45 balls and Jonty Rhodes put on 120 for the fourth wicket with Gibbs to set Pakistan a target of 5.7 runs an over. 

South Africa were cruising at 256 for three before Pakistani captain Waqar Younis grabbed three wickets off 12 balls to finish with a rich haul of five for 38. 

All-rounder Wasim Akram went wicketless in his 335th one-day match which made him the most capped player in limited-overs internationals surpassing former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin's record of 334. 

Gibbs and Boje added 85 for the third wicket after Waqar had both Gary Kirsten and Kallis caught behind to reduce South Africa to 51 for two in the 12th over. 

Boje's pinch-hitting role fetched him five boundaries and two sixes before he holed out in the deep off Shahid Afridi. Rhodes hit a typically pugnacious 46 when his run out sparked a late collapse in which Waqar clean bowled Mark Boucher and captain Shaun Pollock. 

Boeta Dippenaar was run out off the last delivery of the innings, leaving last man Makhya Ntini stranded in the pavilion. Pakistan got off to a rollocking start as Imran Nazir and Saeed Anwar hammered 55 by the eighth over. 

Kallis, coming on as first change, removed Anwar for 23 in his first over and then trapped Nazir leg-before after the young batsman had hit 40 off just 29 balls. 

Gibbs caught both Yousuf Youhana and Afridi and Boje dismissed Inzamam-ul Haq and Younis Khan as Pakistan plunged to 193 for six by the 36th over. Abdul Razzaq and Rashid Latif briefly resurrected Pakistan's hopes by adding a quickfire 28 for the seventh wicket, before both fell at the same score of 221. Klusener took three of the last four wickets to fashion South Africa's emphatic win. 

Pakistan meet Sri Lanka in the next match on Wednesday after a day of rest on Tuesday.