Olivier rips through Pakistan to justify selection
Duanne Olivier justified South Africa's decision to go with a four-pronged seam attack for the second Test against Pakistan and Aiden Markram helped put the Proteas on top on day one at Newlands.
The return of Vernon Philander meant Olivier was in danger of losing his place in the line-up despite claiming match figures of 11-96 in Centurion last week.
Spinner Keshav Maharaj instead sat out, and Olivier proved worthy of selection by taking 4-48 as Pakistan were skittled for 177.
Pakistan's lowest score of the tour could have been worse had captain Sarfraz Ahmed (56) not bounced back from his two ducks in the first-Test defeat.
Olivier brought Sarfraz's resistance to an end and Proteas opener Markram scored an expansive 78 before falling to the final ball of the day as the hosts reached stumps two wickets down and just 54 runs behind.
South Africa close day one in Cape Town on 123/2!
Aiden Markram played superbly for his 78 but was bowled off the last delivery of the day to a ball that kept low from Shan Masood. #SAvPAK LIVE https://t.co/sT3TAzx0C3 pic.twitter.com/etH8DzedGr
— ICC (@ICC) January 3, 2019
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Dale Steyn (3-48) became South Africa's all-time leading Test wicket taker in the first match and he got his team off the mark with a bouncer that Fakhar Zaman (1) ballooned to gully.
Philander (1-36) had Imam-ul-Haq (8) lbw before Olivier got in on the act by removing Azhar Ali (2) for the third time in the series with a wicked short ball that was fended to Hashim Amla at slip.
Kagiso Rabada (2-35) dismissed Asad Shafiq (20) and Babar Azam (2) gloved Olivier to slip as the woeful Pakistan were reduced to 54-5 ahead of lunch.
Sarfraz and Shan Masood (44) helped ensure some respectability for the tourists with a 60-run union for the sixth wicket, the skipper finding the ropes nine times while the latter claimed their only maximum.
A rare error from Masood off Rabada was snaffled by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, who produced another great catch to get rid of Sarfraz as Olivier struck with the short ball again.
YES! WICKET! De Kock takes another beauty of a catch off Olivier and that's the end of the skipper Sarfraz Ahmed 56. PAK 156/7 (44.2 ovs). #ProteaFire #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/RCIWL0dnO6
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) January 3, 2019
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Pakistan's final four wickets fell for just 21 runs inside seven overs in the second session to cap a miserable innings.
The tourists were boosted by Mohammad Amir drawing an edge from Dean Elgar (20) for the breakthrough after tea, but Markram and Amla (24 not out) added 67 runs for the second wicket.
After failing to reach 20 in his last six innings, Markram brought up fifty with successive fours off Mohammad Abbas and then slammed leg-spinner Yasir Shah over long-on for a maximum.
The opener was unable to make it to the close with his wicket intact, however, as a Masood delivery kept low and sent off stump tumbling, but South Africa head into the second day in a dominant position.