South Africa seals place in World Test Championship final with a tense 2-wicket win against Pakistan

CENTURION, South Africa (AP) — South Africa tailenders Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen hung in against relentless fast bowler Mohammad Abbas for a tense two-wicket win in the first test on Sunday to seal the Proteas' place in next year’s World Test Championship final.

Jansen (16 not out) overshadowed Abbas’ brilliant figures of 6-54 with a square driven boundary against the fast bowler as South Africa reached 150-8 just after lunch on Day 4 and escaped with a close win in the opener of the two-match series.

“Quite an emotional moment for me, good advert for test cricket,” said South Africa captain Temba Bavuma, who made 40. “We haven’t been ruthless but have found a way to ensure the result was on our side. Lot of joy and happiness on our side, a bit of a rollercoaster, glad that we were able to get the result.”

Abbas, making a comeback after more than three years in the test wilderness, had knocked back South Africa’s tricky chase of 148 runs in a marathon 13-over spell before lunch on Day 4 as the home team limped to 99-8, losing four wickets for three runs.

However, Rabada changed gears in an unbroken 51-run stand with Jansen and made an unbeaten 31 off 26 balls with five fours to seal a memorable victory and denied Pakistan its first test win in South Africa in almost 18 years.

South Africa had started this WTC cycle with a 1-1 drawn series against India before getting swept 2-0 in New Zealand. But since then the Proteas have beaten West Indies, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to stay on top of the table.

“It (WTC final) is a big one, not just for myself but also the team and the coach," Bavuma said. "The way we started our campaign, against India and then New Zealand with a not-so-strong team, and the way we have gone through with our performances, not many gave us a chance.”

India, Australia and Sri Lanka are the other teams still in contention for next June’s WTC final against South Africa at Lord’s.

Captain Temba Bavuma (40) and Aiden Markram (37) had thwarted Abbas for an hour after South Africa resumed at a wobbly 27-3, still needing 121 for victory.

Bavuma’s controversial dismissal punctuated a South Africa collapse in the latter half of first session with Abbas grabbing three off his six balls in a sensational home team collapse.

Bavuma, who made 40, surprisingly didn’t request a television review when replays suggested that Abbas’ ball had brushed the batter’s pocket and didn’t make contact with the inside edge of the bat but the South African skipper walked back to the dressing room.

Abbas bowled an unchanged marathon spell of 13 overs, but had to wait as Markram and Bavuma saw off eight overs from the fast bowlers.

Resuming at 27-3, Bavuma and Markram showed plenty of patience against Abbas’ probing line and length before the fast bowler finally got the breakthrough after the first drinks break.

Abbas was rewarded for his brilliant seam bowling when he beat the outside edge of Markram’s bat and knocked back the off stump.

Bavuma survived a couple of close chances when he successfully overturned an on-field lbw decision against him early in the day and Naseem Shah couldn’t hold onto a sharp catch at fine leg as he overstepped the boundary cushion while grabbing the ball over his head.

South Africa had controlled the game at 96-4 before Bavuma’s dismissal saw Abbas finding the outside edges of David Bedingham (14) and Corbin Bosch’s (0) bat off successive deliveries and in between Kyle Verreynne dragged Naseem Shah’s delivery back onto his stumps.

Abbas found the outside edge of Rabada's bat in his first over after lunch that fell just short of wicketkeeper Rizwan before both tailenders took the team home.

“Extremely proud of the efforts, but going forward we need to be ruthless,” Pakistan captain Shan Masood said. “We keep making the same mistakes but we have to get over the line, seize moments.”

The second test begins at Cape Town on Friday.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Pakistan's Mohammad Abbas, reacts as South Africa's Marco Jansen, back, celebrates teammate Kagiso Rabada, after scoring the winning runs following the day four of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Pakistan's Naseem Shah follows through his delivery during day four of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Aiden Markam is bowled out by Pakistan's Mohammad Abbas, for 37 runs during day four of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Marco Jansen, left, celebrates teammate Kagiso Rabada, after scoring the winning runs following the day four of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Marco Jansen, left, celebrates teammate Kagiso Rabada, right, after scoring the winning runs following the day four of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Aiden Markam is bowled out by Pakistan's Mohammad Abbas, for 37 runs during day four of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Temba Bavuma makes a run during day four of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Pakistan's Mohammad Abbas, center, celebrates with his teammates after dismissing South Africa's Aiden Markam 37 runs during day four of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Temba Bavuma plays a shot during day four of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's David Bedingham plays a shot during day four of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's David Bedingham is dismissed by Pakistan's Mohammad Abbas, for 14 runs during day four of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Pakistan's Naseem Shah, front, celebrates with his teammates after bowling out South Africa's Kyle Verreynne for 2 runs during day four of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Kagiso Rabada plays a shot during day four of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Pakistan's Mohammad Abbas, left, celebrates with his teammates after dismissing South Africa's David Bedingham for 14 runs during day four of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes killed at least 12 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, mostly women and children, officials said Wednesday, as the nearly 15-month war ground on into the new year with no end in sight.

One strike hit a home in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza, the most isolated and heavily destroyed part of the territory, where Israel has been waging a major operation since early October. Gaza’s Health Ministry said seven people were killed, including a woman and four children, and at least a dozen other people were wounded.

Another strike overnight in the built-up Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza killed a woman and a child, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies. The military ordered people to evacuate an area near Bureij overnight, saying it would strike there in response to recent rocket fire by Palestinian militants.

A third strike early Wednesday in the southern city of Khan Younis killed three people, according to the nearby Nasser Hospital and the European Hospital, which received the bodies.

The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducting around 250. About 100 hostages are still held in Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead.

Israel’s air and ground offensive has killed over 45,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It says women and children make up more than half the fatalities but does not say how many of those killed were militants.

The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames Hamas for civilian deaths because its fighters operate in dense residential areas. The army says it has killed 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

The war has caused widespread destruction and displaced some 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, many of them multiple times.

Hundreds of thousands are living in tents on the coast as winter brings frequent rainstorms and temperatures drop below 10 degrees Celsius (50 F) at night. At least six infants and another person have died of hypothermia, according to the Health Ministry.

American and Arab mediators have spent nearly a year trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release, but those efforts have repeatedly stalled. Hamas has demanded a lasting truce, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu has vowed to keep fighting until “total victory” over the militants.

In a separate development, the Israeli military blamed “operational burnout” and a “weakening of discipline and safety” in the death of a 70-year-old archaeologist who was killed in southern Lebanon along with another soldier while visiting a combat zone in November.

According to Israeli media reports, Zeev Erlich was not on active duty when he was shot, but was wearing a military uniform and had a weapon. The army said he was a reservist with the rank of major and identified him as a “fallen soldier” when it announced his death.

Erlich was a well-known West Bank settler and researcher of Jewish history. Media reports at the time of his death said he entered Lebanon to explore an archaeological site. The family of the soldier who was killed with him has expressed anger over the circumstances of his death.

The military launched an investigation after they were killed in a Hezbollah ambush. A separate probe is looking into who allowed Erlich to enter.

The military said the entry of civilians who are not military contractors or journalists into combat zones is not widespread. Still, there have been multiple reports of Israeli civilians who support a permanent Israeli presence in Gaza or Lebanon entering those areas.

Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem contributed.

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

A man warms himself by a small fire inside a makeshift tent following overnight rainfall at the refugee tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinian children carry buckets of water after overnight rainfall at the refugee tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Manal Lubbad, a 49-year-old mother of eight and a displaced woman from Gaza City, tries to clean her flooded tent after heavy overnight rainfall at the refugee tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Nabil Lubbad tries to clean his family's flooded tent after heavy overnight rainfall at the refugee tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A young girl walks barefoot, carrying empty jerrycans to collect water, after overnight rainfall at the refugee tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip,, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

People walk along the beach next to a tent refugee camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Monday, Dec .30, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli soldiers board an armored vehicle to enter the Gaza Strip at the Israel-Gaza border in southern Israel on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

An Israeli soldier adjusts his night vision goggles as his unit prepares to enter the Gaza Strip at the Israel-Gaza border in southern Israel on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

An Israeli soldier walks through a staging area as his unit prepares to enter the Gaza Strip at the Israel-Gaza border in southern Israel on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Israeli soldiers prepare to be deployed to the Gaza Strip near the Israeli-Gaza border in southern Israel, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Israeli soldiers light a candle on the seventh night of Hanukkah before being deployed to the Gaza Strip near the Israeli-Gaza border in southern Israel, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Brothers Belal, 5, and Mohammed Hamad, 7, collect water from their flooded family tent after overnight rainfall at the refugee tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A boy walks barefoot through the mud after overnight rainfall at the refugee tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Manal Lubbad, a 49-year-old mother of eight and a displaced woman from Gaza City, tries to clean her flooded tent after heavy overnight rainfall at the refugee tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)