A career best bowling performance from Corbin Bosch and a half century from Reeza Hendricks were the star efforts in the Proteas thumping 55-run win over Pakistan in the first KFC T20I at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Pakistan on Tuesday.

After the visitors set the hosts 195 to win, Bosch was absolutely sublime with the ball, claiming brilliant figures of 4-14 in his four overs, and was backed up well by George Linde (3-31 in three) and Lizaad Williams (2-21 in 3.1) as Pakistan were eventually all out for 139.

🚨 MATCH RESULT 🚨

A commanding all-round performance from #TheProteas Men as they take the opening T20I by 55 runs, going 1-0 up in the series. ⚡️🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/mbyzjmGjFU
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) October 28, 2025

Batting first the Proteas reached a solid 194-9 in their 20 overs, led by Hendricks who top scored with 60 off 40 balls (5x4; 1x6), while Linde, 36 off 22 (4x4; 1x6) and Tony de Zorzi, 33 off 16 (5x4; 1x6), also made key contributions in what proved to be a comfortable winning total in the end.

“I am very proud of the team effort. I think it was a collective effort in the end. We started really well in the powerplay with the bat, and then finished off the innings with George Linde striking the ball really well,” said Proteas captain Donovan Ferreira.

“We then kept it really simple with the ball, just trying to hit the top of off (stump). We saw what they (Pakistan bowlers) were doing and what was working on the wicket, and we just kept it nice and simple.

“So I was really proud with the way we bowled, but I also thought we put up a really good score up on the board and defended it.”

BRILLIANT BOSCH

The Pakistan chase was basically a procession as regular wickets throughout meant they were constantly behind the asking rate and couldn’t get close in the end.

It could have been even worse for them, as top scoring opener Saib Ayum, 37 off 28 (1x4; 4x6), was dropped on nought, and No 7 batter Mohammad Nawaz struck a sprightly 36 off 20 (4x4; 2x6) when the game was already done.

Pakistan initially started well, with a 31-run opening stand, but when Williams bowled Sahibzada Farhan (24) at the end of the fifth over, it started the slide.

Bosch then got in on the act, having Babar Azam out for a second-ball duck, caught by Hendricks at cover, and trapped captain Salman Agha (2) LBW, leaving the hosts on 43-3 in the eighth over.

What a performance! ⚡️

Corbin Bosch tore through the Pakistan batting lineup, delivering a crucial match-winning spell! 👏🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/sf9TEG0OBq
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) October 28, 2025

Ayub and Usman Khan (12) then combined for the biggest partnership of the innings, of 39, which included the opener climbing into Linde who went for 28 in his first 10 balls.

But the spinner then struck back picking up three wickets in seven balls, as Ayub, Khan and Faheem Ashraf (1) all fell, along with Lungi Ngidi bowling Hasan Nawaz (3) among the carnage, as they crashed from 82-3 to 89-7, with the game over as a contest by then.

A sublime showing from George Linde! 💪

An extraordinary all-round performance with bat and ball earns him Player of the Match honours. 🇿🇦🏏

Simply outstanding! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/G9QVE7lJXX
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) October 28, 2025

FIREWORKS

At the start of play Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl, but a composed half century from Hendricks and some lower-order fireworks from Linde led the Proteas to a very defendable score.

But good fight from Pakistan in the middle overs and at the end, led by Mohammad Nawaz (3-26) and Ayub (2-31_ made sure the Proteas were unable to get over the 200-run mark.

The Proteas' innings got off to a rollicking start thanks to Hendricks and Quinton de Kock, 23 off 13 (5x4), in his second match back in the national team fold, sharing in a 44 run-opening partnership in under four overs, when De Kock sliced an easy catch to point off Ayub to be the first to fall.

De Zorzi was next in and continued the good start, as him and Hendricks combined for a 49-run second wicket stand as the Proteas continued going at more than 10 to the over.

A memorable debut. 💫

Tony de Zorzi made his T20I debut for #TheProteas Men’s team, lighting up Rawalpindi with a fiery 33 in a glimpse of what’s to come! 🇿🇦

An excellent showing from our debutant in the series opener! 👏 pic.twitter.com/Qptulbxi0C
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) October 28, 2025

However De Zorzi’s wicket, stumped by keeper Khan off the bowling of Mohammad Nawaz in the eight over, with the score 93-2, started a middle innings fightback from the hosts.

Dewald Brevis (9), Matthew Breetzke (1) and Ferreira (10) all fell cheaply, while the run rate also went down, as the Proteas slipped to 139-5 after 14 overs.

Hendricks had been ticking along while watching the carnage, and at that stage had reached a 33-ball 50, when Linde arrived at the crease and proceeded to dominate a quickfire 39-run stand off 21 balls with the opener to set a good platform.

Reeza anchors South Africa's innings with a brilliant 60 off 40 balls 👏👏

📺 Stream #PAKvSA on DStv: https://t.co/rM90YyQxaw #SSCricket pic.twitter.com/rrRwxtfeFT
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) October 28, 2025

But Hendricks's wicket, bowled by Abrar Ahmed in the 18th over, followed by Linde, bowled by Naseem Shah in the next, meant they were unable to fully maximise as just 11 runs came off the final two overs of the innings.

PAKISTAN: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Agha Salman (c), Usman Khan (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed

PROTEAS: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira (c), George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Lizaad Williams, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi