South Africa reaches 82-3 after Pakistan folds for 211 against pacers Paterson and Bosch in 1st test

CENTURION, South Africa (AP) — Dane Paterson bagged his second successive five-wicket haul and Corbin Bosch made a dream test debut with a wicket off his first ball as 13 batters fell to pace bowlers on an eventful start to the Boxing Day test match between South Africa and Pakistan on Thursday.

Paterson followed a 5-71 against Sri Lanka earlier this month with 5-61 and 30-year-old Bosch went on to claim 4-63 in his first test match as Pakistan was bowled out for 211.

Kamran Ghulam’s counterattacking 54 off 71 balls and a stubborn 22-run last wicket partnership between Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Abbas allowed the tourists to cross the 200-run mark on a seamer-friendly SuperSport Park pitch where batters had been struggling for the last six years.

South Africa, which needs to win one of the two test matches against Pakistan to seal a place in next June’s World Test Championship final at Lord’s, reached 82-3 at stumps.

Aiden Markram made an attractive unbeaten 47 off 67 balls and captain Temba Bavuma was not out on 4 as fit-again Shahzad claimed two wickets and Abbas, playing his first test after more than three years, removed Tristan Stubbs for 9.

Shahzad hit the top of Tony de Zorzi’s (2) middle stump with a delivery that jagged back into the left-hander and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan took a splendid low catch to dismiss Ryan Rickelton (8) with fast bowlers making full use of conducive conditions throughout the day.

Abbas then baffled Stubbs with a nippy delivery and had him trapped leg before wicket before South Africa ended the day without further damage.

Paterson filled the void perfectly after several South African fast bowlers were sidelined for the two-match series due to injuries, dismissing five of the top seven Pakistan batters.

Paterson’s 5-fer came after Bosch had lured Pakistan captain Shan Masood (17) to play a lose drive and had him caught in the slips an hour after captain Temba Bavuma had won the toss and elected to field.

Bosch joined four other countrymen -- Bert Vogler, Dane Piedt, Hardu Viljoen and Tshepo Moreki -- to achieve the unique feat of getting a wicket with their first ball in test cricket.

Bosch’s breakthrough saw Pakistan’s top-order crumble against the pace with Paterson finding edges of Ayub and Babar Azam (4).

Babar, who was dropped for the last two test matches at home against England, has long been struggling in red-ball cricket. His struggles continued as he hit Bosch for a boundary off the first ball he faced before playing loosely to Paterson and getting caught in the slips after facing just 11 balls.

Left-hander Saud Shakeel (14) struck three fours against Paterson before Bosch had him caught down the leg-side off a sharp short pitch ball after South Africa successfully went for a television review as Pakistan lost four wickets in the space of 20 runs and limped to 4-56.

Ghulam and Mohammad Rizwan rebuilt the innings with an attractive 81-run partnership before Paterson removed both batters after lunch in successive overs. Ghulam top-edged a pull to Rabada at fine leg and Rizwan poked at a delivery to the slips.

Aamer Jamal (28 off 27 balls) was twice dropped by Stubbs in the slips before Pakistan lost three wickets without a run and crumbled to 189-9. Bosch was on a hat trick when Jamal played the fast bowler back onto his stumps and Naseem Shah offered a tame catch at mid-on. Abbas survived the hat trick ball before Pakistan was bowled out early in the last session.

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

South Africa's Temba Bavuma chases the ball during day one of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Kagiso Rabada fields off his own bowling during day one of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Pakistan's Khurram Shahzad misplay a delivery during day one of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Pakistan's Kamran Ghulam makes a run during day one of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Dane Paterson, right, celebrates with his teammates after dismissing Pakistan's Salman Agha during day one of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Pakistan's Saud Shakeel, centre, leaves the field after being dismissed during day one of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Pakistan's Saud Shakeel plays a shot during day one of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Corbin Bosch, centre, celebrates with teammates after taking a wicket of Pakistan's Shan Masood for 17 runs during day one of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Corbin Bosch, left, celebrates after bowling out Pakistan's Aamer Jamal during day one of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Dane Paterson, centre, celebrates with teammates after dismissing Pakistan's Salman Agha during day one of the Test cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at Centurion Park, in Centurion, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Corbin Bosch, centre, celebrates with teammates after taking a wicket of Pakistan's Shan Masood for 17 runs during third International cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Pakistan's Saud Shakeel plays a shot during third International cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Pakistan's Saud Shakeel plays a shot during third International cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's Corbin Bosch, centre, celebrates with teammates after taking a wicket of Pakistan's Shan Masood for 17 runs during third International cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa's players celebrate after teammate Corbin Bosch took a wicket during third International cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

RHO, Italy (AP) — No ice is colder and harder than speedskating ice. The precision it takes has meant that Olympic speedskaters have never competed for gold on a temporary indoor rink – until the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games.

In the pursuit of maximum glide and minimum friction, Olympic officials brought on ice master Mark Messer, a veteran of six previous Olympic speedskating tracks and the ice technician in charge of the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Canada — one of the fastest tracks in the world with over 300 records.

Messer has been putting that experience to work one thin layer of ice at a time since the end of October at the new Speed Skating Stadium, built inside adjacent trade fair halls in the city of Rho just north of Milan.

“It’s one of the biggest challenges I’ve had in icemaking,’’ Messer said during an interview less than two weeks into the process.

If Goldilocks were a speedskater, hockey ice would be medium hard, for fast puck movement and sharp turns. Figure skating ice would be softer, allowing push off for jumps and so the ice doesn’t shatter on landing. Curling ice is the softest and warmest of all, for controlled sliding.

For speedskating ice to be just right, it must be hard, cold and clean. And very, very smooth.

“The blades are so sharp, that if there is some dirt, the blade will lose the edge,’’ Messer said, and the skater will lose speed.

Speedskater Enrico Fabris, who won two Olympic golds in Turin in 2006, has traded in his skates to be deputy sports manager at the speedskating venue in Rho. For him, perfect ice means the conditions are the same for all skaters — and then if it's fast ice, so much the better.

"It's more of a pleasure to skate on this ice,'' he said.

Messer’s first Olympics were in Calgary in 1988 — the first time speedskating was held indoors. “That gave us some advantages because we didn’t have to worry about the weather, wind blowing or rain,’’ he said. Now he is upping the challenge by becoming the first ice master to build a temporary rink for the Olympics.

Before Messer arrived in Italy, workers spent weeks setting up insulation to level the floor and then a network of pipes and rubber tubes that carry glycol — an antifreeze — that is brought down to minus 7 or minus 8 degrees Celsius (17.6 to 19.4 degrees Fahrenheit) to make the ice.

Water is run through a purification system — but it can’t be too pure, or the ice that forms will be too brittle. Just the right amount of impurities “holds the ice together,’’ Messer said.

The first layers of water are applied slowly, with a spray nozzle; after the ice reaches a few centimeters it is painted white — a full day’s work — and the stripes are added to make lanes.

“The first one takes about 45 minutes. And then as soon as it freezes, we go back and do it again, and again and again. So we do it hundreds of times,’’ Messer said.

As the ice gets thicker, and is more stable, workers apply subsequent layers of water with hoses. Messer attaches his hose to hockey sticks for easier spreading.

What must absolutely be avoided is dirt, dust or frost — all of which can cause friction for the skaters, slowing them down. The goal is that when the skaters push “they can go as far as possible with the least amount of effort,’’ Messer said.

The Zamboni ice resurfacing machine plays a key role in keeping the track clean, cutting off a layer and spraying water to make a new surface.

One challenge is gauging how quickly the water from the resurfacing machine freezes in the temporary rink.

Another is getting the ice to the right thickness so that the Zamboni, weighing in at six tons, doesn’t shift the insulation, rubber tubing or ice itself.

“When you drive that out, if there’s anything moving it will move. We don’t want that,’’ Messer said.

The rink got its first big test on Nov. 29-30 during a Junior World Cup event. In a permanent rink, test events are usually held a year before the Olympics, leaving more time for adjustments. “We have a very small window to learn,’’ Messer acknowledged.

Dutch speedskater Kayo Vos, who won the men’s neo-senior 1,000 meters, said the ice was a little soft — but Messer didn’t seem too concerned.

“We went very modest to start, now we can start to change the temperatures and try to make it faster and still maintain it as a safe ice,’’ he said.

Fine-tuning the air temperature and humidity and ice temperature must be done methodically — taking into account that there will be 6,000 spectators in the venue for each event. The next real test will be on Jan. 31, when the Olympians take to the ice for their first training session.

“Eighty percent of the work is done but the hardest part is the last 20 percent, where we have to try to find the values and the way of running the equipment so all the skaters get the same conditions and all the skaters get the best conditions,’’ Messer said.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Serpentines are set on the ice of the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Ice Master Mark Messer poses in the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Workers clean the ice surface during a peed skating Junior World Cup and Olympic test event, in Rho, near Milan, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Ice Master Mark Messer poses in the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Ice Master Mark Messer poses in the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)