Proteas romp to series win

AB de Villiers © Getty Images

Unbeaten half-centuries by AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis helped South Africa romp to a nine-wicket victory over Pakistan in the fifth and final one-day international in Johannesburg.

Chasing a mediocre target of 154 for victory after a dazzling display of seam bowling from Shaun Pollock, who claimed five for 23, the South Africans were ruthless as they coasted to a 3-1 series victory losing just one wicket for 156 with more than 20 overs to spare.

The only joy for the tourists, was dismissing Proteas' skipper Graeme Smith in the first over, as he edged a good Mohammad Asif delivery to Kamran Akmal for a duck with the score on one.

Thereafter it was backs-to-the-wall as de Villiers and Kallis coasted their way to victory, sharing an unbeaten 155, with the two batsmen hitting 71 apiece.

Earlier, Pakistan's batsmen failed again as they set a modest victory target.

Even middle-order mainstays Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam-ul-Haq had no answer to the South Africans for whom Pollock was once again outstanding with the ball.

Pollock claimed the first five scalps after taking the man-of-the-match award on Sunday when the Proteas took a 2-1 lead in the series by bowling out Pakistan for 107.

The Pakistan batsmen did not improve much on Wednesday.

Mohammad Hafeez was first to go before a run had been scored when he edged Pollock to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, who added another five catches to his world-record haul of six on Sunday.

Shaun Pollock was man-of-the-match © Getty Images

Pollock also accounted for Imran Nazir, caught and bowled for 22 and then bowled Younis Khan for 19.

The immaculate all-rounder was far from finished and trapped Yousuf on his pads for five before luring Inzamam into giving a catch to Kallis before he had got off the mark.

Pollock had taken care of the top order and then his team-mates polished off the remainder.

Charl Langeveldt persuaded Akmal to give Ashwell Prince a catch for 19 and Boucher then took four catches to end the innings.

The first saw him remove Abdul Razzaq for 12 off the bowling of Andrew Hall and then he took a catch off Kallis to remove Rana Naved-ul-Hasan who had attempted a hook.

Kallis and Boucher combined again to get ride of Iftikhar Anjum for four and then Makhaya Ntini removed last man Asif for five with Boucher taking the catch again.

Shoaib Malik finished unbeaten on 43 to give a veneer of respectability to the tourists who need to win the match to ensure the series is shared.

Pollock claimed a second successive man-of-the-match award for his effort and was also rewarded with the man-of-the-series trophy.