Proteas triumph despite Raza’s valiant knock in Tri-Series opener
South Africa began their Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series campaign with a tense five-wicket victory over the hosts at Harare Sports Club on Monday. After winning the toss, Proteas skipper Rassie van der Dussen elected to bowl first — and his bowlers backed him up in tricky early afternoon conditions.
Zimbabwe’s captain Sikandar Raza once again proved his all-round class, top-scoring with a fluent 54 off 38 balls — his 15th T20I half-century — fresh from his Major League Cricket stint with the Seattle Orcas. Raza and Ryan Burl steadied the innings after early stumbles, adding 66 runs for the fourth wicket. Brian Bennett, who looked set for his own milestone, fell for 39 after anchoring Zimbabwe’s shaky start.
South Africa’s bowlers struck crucial blows at regular intervals. George Linde was the standout, taking 3/10 in four overs — including a masterful final over that cost just four runs and claimed two scalps. Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger and Nqaba Peter chipped in with a wicket each as Zimbabwe closed on 141/6.
In reply, the Proteas looked composed despite losing early wickets. Reeza Hendricks and Rubin Hermann rotated the strike well, while Corbin Bosch’s late boundaries proved vital in the final push. Bosch’s up-and-over cover drive for four in the 14th over underlined South Africa’s growing confidence as they chased the 142 target with 19 balls to spare.
With senior stars rested for this Tri-Series, South Africa’s new-look squad will be pleased to have opened their account with a gritty win. Van der Dussen praised his bowlers for keeping Raza’s onslaught in check and his young batters for holding their nerve in the chase.
The result sets up a fascinating round-robin ahead, with New Zealand joining the fray next. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, will rue missed opportunities but can take heart from their skipper’s form and the fight shown in front of an appreciative Harare crowd.
Tri-Series Next Fixtures:
Stay tuned as the Tri-Series continues — catch all match updates on NOWinSA’s Sports section and follow live scores on Cricket South Africa.
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