Match overview
South Africa beat Pakistan by 2 wickets in the Boxing Day Test at SuperSport Park, Centurion on 26 December 2024. Chasing a target of 148 in the fourth innings, South Africa were reduced to 150/8 before getting over the line in one of the closer finishes the fixture has produced. Pakistan's 211 in the first innings was competitive by Centurion standards, where the average first-innings total across 155 matches is 209, but South Africa's reply of 301 gave them a 90-run lead that settled the contest. Pakistan's 237 in the third innings set South Africa a target that felt gettable on paper, yet proved anything but straightforward in practice. AK Markram took the Player of the Match award for his contributions across both South African innings.
Pakistan's first innings was tightly fought and their second-innings 237 showed genuine resilience. But South Africa's first-innings dominance, built around that 90-run lead, gave them the margin they needed when the pitch began to play more tricks in the final innings. Eight wickets falling in the chase underlined how hard this surface can be to bat on when the match is deep into its fourth day.
Venue and conditions
SuperSport Park has a well-established character for Test cricket. The average first-innings score across 155 matches is 209 runs, and the average second-innings score is 189. Both figures are relatively modest by Test standards, which reflects a surface that tends to offer something for seam bowlers throughout a match. The venue's records back this up: Dale Steyn took 10 wickets for 91 runs in 24.5 overs here in November 2007, and Vernon Philander claimed 10 for 102 in 24.2 overs in December 2011. When Centurion pitches are at their liveliest, the pace bowlers dictate terms.
Toss decisions at this ground are telling. Teams choose to field 67% of the time, suggesting the consensus view is that conditions favour bowling first and batting last when the pitch has eased. The overall chase success rate across all matches at the venue is 55%, which makes fourth-innings targets more precarious than the headline number implies. South Africa's wobble to 150/8 chasing only 148 fits the pattern precisely: even moderate fourth-innings targets here carry genuine peril once the surface has deteriorated across three innings.
How to watch
Test cricket between South Africa and Pakistan is broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports Cricket. The channel is available via a standard Sky subscription, through the Sky Go streaming app, or via a NOW TV day or month pass for those without a full Sky package. Kick-off times for Centurion Tests typically align with a 9:00 GMT or 10:00 GMT start given South Africa's UTC+2 time zone, though viewers should confirm the scheduled start through broadcaster listings.
BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra carries live Test match commentary for many international fixtures, including South Africa tours. For a five-day Test, the BBC's ball-by-ball coverage often provides a reliable alternative for listeners following from the UK.
Recent form
Pakistan arrived in Centurion having won three of their five most recent matches against South Africa in 2024, with the two losses also coming against the same opposition. South Africa's own form over the same five matches mirrors the reverse: three defeats and two wins. That symmetry reflects a series that appears to have shifted in momentum regularly between the two sides.
The head-to-head over 104 meetings gives South Africa a 54–45 edge overall, but Pakistan had won four of the five most recent encounters before this Test. South Africa's victory at Centurion bucks that trend and reduces the gap in recent meetings. Whether Pakistan can respond in any remaining fixture in the series will be the next question for both camps.
