South Africa stumbles to 27-3 in pursuit of tricky 148-run target in 1st test against Pakistan

CENTURION, South Africa (AP) — South Africa's top-order stumbled against Pakistan's pace attack as the first cricket test headed towards an exciting finish after Marco Jansen’s six-wicket haul had set the home team a tricky 148-run target on Saturday.

South Africa, needing a win in one of the two matches against Pakistan to seal its place in next June’s World Test Championship final, wobbled to 27-3 at stumps on a wicket where the quick bowlers have consistently troubled the batters.

Fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, returning to test cricket after more than three years, trapped Tony de Zorzi (2) and Tristan Stubbs (1) lbw in the final session.

In between Abbas’ strikes, Khurram Shahzad convinced skipper Shan Masood to go for a successful lbw television referral against Ryan Rickelton, who fell for a five-ball duck.

South Africa's hopes could now rest with Aiden Markram, who was unbeaten on 22, and captain Temba Bavuma, who is yet to get off the mark.

Earlier, Jansen’s 6-52 helped South Africa bowl Pakistan out for 237 after rain had delayed play for three hours.

Saud Shakeel (84) and Babar Azam (50) struck half centuries, but Jansen’s three-wicket burst in four overs dented Pakistan's progress as the visitors lost seven wickets for 84 runs after resuming on 88-3.

Shakeel and Babar dominated the pace trio of Kagiso Rabada (2-68), Corbin Bosch (1-54) and Dane Paterson (1-55) with aggressive batting in a 79-run stand.

Babar looked in good touch but, soon after completing a first test half-century in 20 innings, he sliced Jansen’s short ball straight to Bosch at deep backward point.

Mohammad Rizwan (3) and Salman Ali Agha (1) also fell to reckless shots. The former gloved a wayward leg-side delivery from Jansen to the wicketkeeper and Salman was caught behind after playing an expansive drive to the third ball he faced.

Shakeel showed plenty of composure as Pakistan stretched its lead to 136 before he missed a full toss from Jansen and was lbw.

Pakistan was finally bowled out in the last session when debutant Bosch claimed his fifth wicket of the match.

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Pakistan's Mohammad Abbas, left, successfully appeals for LBW against South Africa's Tristan Stubbs during day three of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Corbin Bosch, right, collides with Pakistan's Babar Azam, left, during day three of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Marco Jansen, center, celebrates with his teammates after dismissing Pakistan's Babar Azam for 50 runs during day three of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Dane Paterson, left, celebrates after taking a wicket of Pakistan's Aamer Jamal during day three of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Kagiso Rabada follows through his delivery during day three of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park, in Centurion, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Pakistan's Saud Shakeel plays a high ball during day three of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park, in Centurion, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Pakistan's Aamer Jamal, left, makes a run whilst South Africa's Corbin Bosch falls to the ground during day three of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan reacts after playing a short ball during day three of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Marco Jansen, left, celebrates with his teammates after dismissing Pakistan's Babar Azam for 50 runs during day three of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Marco Jansen, center, celebrates with his teammates after dismissing Pakistan's Salman Agha for 1 run during day three of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan, left, leaves the crease after being dismissed by South Africa's Marco Jansen, for 3 runs during day three of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Pakistan's Khurram Shahzad, left, and his teammates celebrate a wicket of South Africa's Ryan Rickelton during day three of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Pakistan's Mohammad Abbas, left, celebrates with teammates after successfully appealing for LBW against South Africa's Tristan Stubbs during day three of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Rain delays the start of day three of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park, in Centurion, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Rain delays the start of day three of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park, in Centurion, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Rain delays the start of day three of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park, in Centurion, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Cheers broke out early Wednesday as Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee signed off on the GOP tax breaks bill after a grueling round-the-clock session that pushed President Donald Trump's package past overwhelming Democratic opposition.

But there's still more work to do.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also worked past midnight trying to resolve issues with Trump's plan. Opposition is mounting from various corners of the GOP majority as he tries to muscle the party's signature package to passage without any votes from Democrats.

On the one hand, the conservative leader of the Freedom Caucus derides the new Medicaid work requirements as a “joke” that do not go far enough at cost-cutting. Meanwhile, a handful of GOP lawmakers from New York and other high-tax states are refusing to support the measure unless changes are made to give deeper state and local tax deductions, called SALT, for their constituents back home.

"To say we have a gulf is an understatement," said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a leader of the conservative wing.

Roy said there is “a significant number of us who could not bless this product” in its current form.

Nevertheless, momentum is building toward an end-of-the-week inflection point to stitch together the sprawling package Friday at the Budget Committee. That means combining hundreds of pages of bill text covering $5 trillion in tax breaks and at least $1.5 trillion in spending reductions on Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs to deliver Trump's second-term legislative priority.

Democrats decry the package as a give-away to the wealthy at the expense of safety net programs that millions of Americans rely on. But Johnson insists the Republican majority is on track to pass the package by Memorial Day, May 26, sending it to the Senate where Republicans are crafting their own version. With his slim majority, he can only afford a few defections from his ranks.

“We’re still on target,” Johnson said at the Capitol. “The American people are counting on us.”

Democrats also stayed up all night forcing marathon public hearings. One at the House Energy and Commerce Committee was still going more than 26 hours later before finishing Wednesday afternoon.

Later Wednesday evening, the House Agriculture Committee handling the food aid cuts wrapped up its work too, but only after the Republican chairman abruptly shut down debate on dozens of remaining amendments from Democrats.

All told, Democrats proposed hundreds of amendments trying to change the package, with dozens of votes that largely failed.

“It is a cruel, mean, rotten bill,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., as the Agriculture panel debated changes to the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, known as SNAP.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said at least 7.6 million fewer people would have health insurance with reductions to Medicaid, and likely more with additional changes to the Affordable Care Act.

The CBO also gave lawmakers a preliminary analysis showing that 3 million fewer people each month would participate in the SNAP food program under the changes proposed.

More than 70 million Americans rely on Medicaid for health care, and about 40 million use SNAP.

The Republicans are targeting Medicaid and SNAP for a combined $1 trillion in cuts as a way to offset the costs of the tax package, but also to achieve GOP goals of reining in the social safety net programs.

Most of the cost-savings would come from imposing stiffer work requirements for those receiving the health care and food assistance, meaning fewer people would qualify for the aid. The legislation would raise from 54 to 64 the age of able-bodied adults without dependents who would have to work to qualify for SNAP. It also would also require some parents to work to qualify for the benefits once their children are older than 7, instead of 18. Under current law, those recipients must work or participate in a work program for 80 hours a month.

The chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., insists the changes would “strengthen and sustain” Medicaid for the future, and are the kind of “common sense” policies Trump promised voters.

But Democrats told repeated stories of their constituents struggling to access health care. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., revealed his own diagnosis with Type 2 diabetes at the House Ways and Means Committee hearing and the sticker shock of health costs.

One of the most difficult issues for Johnson has been the more localized debate over state and local taxes as he works to come up with a compromise for New York, California and New Jersey lawmakers. They have rejected an offer to triple the deduction cap, now at $10,000, to $30,000 for married couples.

The speaker met with lawmakers Tuesday and talks continued into Wednesday.

Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., said it was cordial, but there was no deal. “More sizzle than steak in that meeting,” he said late Tuesday.

“The reality is you need 218 votes to pass a bill and the way this bill is currently constructed, it will not have that because it does not adequately the issue of SALT,” said Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y.

The lawmakers believe they have leverage in the talks because without a deal, the $10,000 limit established under the 2017 tax bill expires at the end of the year and reverts to no cap at all.

But as Johnson and the lawmakers edge closer to a SALT deal, the conservatives are balking that their priorities must also be met.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., said he’s a no for now, but would be working to improve the bill so that he could support it.

The conservatives argue that the tax breaks without deeper spending cuts will pile onto the deficit, and they worry that the Medicaid reductions do not go far enough in rolling back federal funds to expand the Affordable Care Act. They also want the work requirements, which don't take effect until Jan. 1, 2029, after Trump has left office, to start sooner.

"Basically Republicans are enforcing Obamacare, which is a surreal situation to me,” Burlison said.

Republicans are racing to extend Trump's tax breaks, which are set to expire later this year, while adding the new ones he campaigned on in 2024, including no taxes on tips, Social Security benefits and others.

A new analysis from the Joint Committee on Taxation shows that most tax filers would see a lower tax rates under the proposal, except those at the lowest rates, who earn less than $15,000 a year. Their average tax rate would go up.

Associated Press writers Matt Brown, Mary Clare Jalonick and Leah Askarinam contributed to this report.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a news conference at the Capitol, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)