Seamers Umar Gul and Wayne Parnell sensationally gatecrashed the batsman’s paradise of Twenty20 cricket at the world championships on Saturday.
Gul recorded the best figures in the format’s short international history by taking five wickets for just six runs as Pakistan bowled out New Zealand for just 99 before romping to a six-wicket victory at the Oval.
Teenage left-armer Parnell, meanwhile, grabbed four for 13 as South Africa cruised past the West Indies by 20 runs to put one foot in the semi-finals.
Needing a win to stay in the tournament, Pakistan surpassed their modest target in 13.1 overs for the loss of four wickets to come back strongly after losing their opening Super Eights match to Sri Lanka by 19 runs on Friday.
Teenager Shahzaib Hasan hit four boundaries and two sixes in his maiden international match before he was run out for 35 off 28 balls.
Pakistan lost three wickets in eight balls to slip from 61-1 to 71-4, but Shahid Afridi lifted his team home with 29 not out.
Gul, brought on as the sixth bowler, claimed four of the last five wickets to leave Pakistan chasing a modest target of 5.5 runs an over.
“It is important for me, the team and my country to perform well,” Gul said. “In Twenty20, you have to be able to bowl the yorker, bouncer and the slower ball. Now I want to be the highest wicket-taker in the tournament.”
Scott Styris’ 22 was New Zealand’s top score on the easy-paced wicket as eight batsmen failed to reach double figures.
South Africa maintained their unbeaten record and are virtually assured of a place in the final four.
The West Indies, chasing 184 to win, were given hope by Lendl Simmons’s brilliant innings of 77, which came off just 50 balls with a six and 12 fours.
But when he holed out to left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe his side were 133 for five off the last ball of the 16th over and the game was almost up.
Parnell took four wickets, including two in four balls to remove openers Andre Fletcher and Chris Gayle. South Africa were on course for a huge total while Herschelle Gibbs (55) and all-rounder Jacques Kallis (45) were at the crease.
But they lost five wickets for 34 runs in 25 balls on a typically good Oval batting pitch, accompanied by a fast outfield, to finish on 183 for seven.
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