ABU DHABI (AFP) — Wily spinner Saeed Ajmal took four wickets to fire Pakistan to a seven-wicket win over world number one South Africa in the first Test in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

The off-spinner (4-74) was superbly supported by left-arm paceman Junaid Khan (3-57) and fellow spinner Zulfiqar Babar (2-51) as South Africa collapsed to 232 in their second innings on the fourth day at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

That left Pakistan to score 40 runs for their overall fourth win over South Africa and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Pakistan made heavy weather of the small target losing openers Shan Masood (nought), Azhar Ali (three) and Khurram Manzoor (four) in the space of seven runs by the fourth over.

Vernon Philander took 2-11, while Dale Steyn had 1-7.

Senior batsmen Younis Khan (28) and Misbah-ul Haq (nine) were left to see off the target with Pakistan captain deservedly hitting the winning six.

It was AB de Villiers, who hit a fighting 90 to help South Africa avoid an innings defeat, while Robin Peterson scored a valiant 47 not out, but it only delayed Pakistan’s win.

This is Pakistan’s fourth win over South Africa in 22 Tests and also broke South Africa’s 15 Tests unbeaten run since losing to Sri Lanka at Durban in December 2011.

De Villiers added an invaluable 57 for the eighth wicket with Petersen to carry the match into the final session.

Peterson added 42 for the ninth wicket with Vernon Philander (10), much to the frustration of the Pakistani bowlers.

De Villiers hit seven boundaries and a six off 157 balls in a resistance-filled innings before he miscued a drive off paceman Junaid Khan with just three to avoid an innings defeat.

The second and final Test will be played in Dubai from October 23.

Scoreboard

South Africa Ist innings 249 (H Amla 118, JP Duminy 57; M Irfan 3-44, Z Babar 3-89)

Pakistan Ist innings 442 (K Manzoor 146, Misbah-ul Haq 100, A Shafiq 54; V Philander 3-84, D Steyn 3-88)

South Africa 2nd innings

G Smith st Akmal b Ajmal 32

A Petersen c Akmal b Irfan 17

H Amla c Akmal b Babar 10

J Kallis lbw b Khan 0

AB de Villiers c Masood b Khan 90

D Steyn b Babar 7

JP Duminy lbw b Khan 0

F du Plessis c and b Ajmal 9

R Peterson not out 47

V Philander c Akmal b Ajmal 10

M Morkel c and b Ajmal 0

Extras: (b4, lb4, nb2) 10

Total: (all out; 82.4 overs) 232

Fall of wickets: 1-38 (Petersen), 2-57 (Smith), 3-58 (Kallis), 4-72 (Amla), 5-104 (Steyn), 6-109 (Duminy), 7-133 (du Plessis), 8-190 (de Villiers), 9-232 (Philander)

Bowling: Irfan 13-1-42-1 (nb2), Khan 18-1-57-3, Ajmal 32.4-7-74-4, Babar 19-6-51-2

Pakistan 2nd innings

K Manzoor c de Villiers b Philander 4

S Masood c de Villiers b Philander 0

A Ali c Kallis b Steyn 3

Y Khan not out 28

Misbah-ul Haq not out 9

Extras: (lb1) 1

Total: (for three wkts; 13.5 overs) 45

Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Masood), 2-7 (Ali), 3-7 (Manzoor)

Bowling: Steyn 5-3-7-1, Philander 5-1-11-2, Morkel 2-0-12-0, Peterson 1.5-0-14-0

Result: Pakistan won by seven wickets

Toss: South Africa

Umpires: Rod Tucker (AUS) and Paul Reiffel (AUS)

Third Umpire: Ian Gould (ENG)

Match referee: David Boon (AUS)