South Africa secured a clinical eight-wicket victory over Pakistan in the second match of the three-match ODI series at Iqbal Stadium on Thursday, keeping their hopes alive.

The victory was built on an unbeaten 123 from Quinton de Kock, faced off 119 balls, guiding South Africa to a comfortable chase of 270. Pakistan posted 269 for nine from their 50 overs. Early wickets fell, with Fakhar Zaman dismissed for a duck in the third ball of the innings and Babar Azam out for 11.

Saim Ayub provided resistance with 53 from 66 deliveries, supported by Salman Agha’s 69 and Mohammad Nawaz’s 59. Faheem Ashraf’s quick 28 from 18 balls briefly accelerated the innings towards a competitive total. Extras contributed 16 runs, including 11 wides.

Nandre Burger led the bowling for South Africa with four wickets for 46 runs, while Nqabayomzi Peter took three for 55. Corbin Bosch claimed two wickets, and other bowlers chipped in economically.

Chasing 270, South Africa reached the target in 40.1 overs with eight wickets in hand. Lhuan-dre Pretorius added 46 before being caught by Mohammad Rizwan off Mohammad Wasim. Tony de Zorzi scored 76 from 63 deliveries, while de Kock remained unbeaten on 123, striking eight fours and seven sixes. Matthew Breetzke supported with 17 not out. Extras added eight runs.

For Pakistan, Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Wasim took one wicket each, while the remaining bowlers failed to make a breakthrough.

The match saw several pivotal moments. Pakistan’s innings began poorly, losing three wickets for 22 runs. The middle order recovered with partnerships, but frequent wickets in the final ten overs limited the total. South Africa’s chase remained measured, with de Kock anchoring the innings and de Zorzi providing aggression when required.

The series now stands at 1-1, with the deciding match set to determine the winner on November 8 (Saturday).