Left-handed opening batsman Ayub put on an impressive show, scoring a delightful 101 runs off just 94 balls, helping Pakistan post a total of 308 for nine.
On the other hand, Heinrich Klaasen from South Africa also had a fantastic outing, smashing 81 runs off 43 balls. Unfortunately for the hosts, they fell short by 36 runs while chasing an adjusted target of 308 due to rain, which had shortened the match to 47 overs per side.
At just 22 years old, Ayub is on a roll! He had already dazzled fans with 113 not out in his previous one-day game against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo last month and followed it up with another fantastic 109 in the series opener against South Africa last week. In between, he made an unbeaten 98 in the second T20 against South Africa in Centurion, showcasing his incredible talent.
After such a stellar performance, it’s no surprise he was named both the player of the match and the player of the series! Ayub humbly credited his teammates, saying, “It’s important because we won, but it is for all the team, not just me. The senior players helped me a lot.”
While Ayub was shining bright, his opening partner Abdullah Shafique struggled and unfortunately scored a duck for the third consecutive time after Pakistan chose to bat first. But Ayub found his groove, hitting 13 fours and two sixes in partnerships of 114 with Babar Azam (52) and 93 with captain Mohammad Rizwan (53).
Ayub’s innings came to an end when debutant Corbin Bosch caught him behind with a clever attempt at a flick, leaving fans cheering and applauding his performance.
Bosch, whose father was the late Test and one-day player Tertius Bosch, stepped in after South Africa faced injuries to their fast bowlers.
Sadly, Klaasen was the only South African to reach a half-century once again, keeping the team on track until he was caught on the square leg boundary by Shaheen Shah Afridi, leaving the score at 194 in the 29th over.
After his wonderful century, Ayub also contributed with the ball, taking one wicket for 34 runs in his 10 overs, including the important wicket of David Miller, and ending the game with the best economy rate among all bowlers. What a match it was!
