SA down Zim, face Aussies in final

Sport
South Africa will face Australia in Saturday’s Triangular final after Faf du Plessis scored his third century to set up an 63-run, bonus-point victory over Zimbabwe in the final group match at the Harare Sports Club in Harare yesterday.

HARARE — South Africa will face Australia in Saturday’s Triangular final after Faf du Plessis scored his third century to set up an 63-run, bonus-point victory over Zimbabwe in the final group match at the Harare Sports Club in Harare yesterday.

After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, South Africa posted an above-par score of 271 for six thanks to Du Plessis posting 121 off 140 deliveries with five boundaries and four maximums.

Zimbabwe, who needed to score the winning runs in 25,1 overs to reach the final ahead of their neighbours, were bowled out for 208 in reply with Brendan Taylor top-scoring with 79 from 96 deliveries with five fours and two sixes.

The South African innings got off to a bad start with Quinton de Kock (two) being caught behind down the leg side off the fourth ball of the innings from the bowling of Tendai Chatara (1-31).

Hashim Amla (14) fell soon afterwards, trying to loft Neville Madziva (2-53) over mid-off, only to be well-caught by Elton Chigumbura.

A 70-run partnership for the third wicket between Du Plessis and Rilee Rossouw (36) put the Proteas back on track before Rossouw missed a viscious turner from Sean Williams (1-38) to be clean bowled.

JP Duminy (51) notched up his 19th one-day international half century while sharing in a 103-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Du Plessis.

Du Plessis eventually perished after hitting two consecutive sixes once reaching three figures before trying to go for a third maximum. The South African Number Three only managed to sky a ball from Madziva, who ran down the pitch to claim the catch himself.

In reply, the host nation found themselves 46 for two with Vusi Sibanda (11) and Sakandar Raza (29) both back in the hut in the ninth over.

Taylor and Hamilton Masakadza (26) began to resurrect the chase with a 31-run partnership, but then Morne Morkel (1-41) struck with the first ball of his second spell, having the right-handed batsman caught by AB de Villiers in the cover region.

Despite keeping comparative pace with the South African innings, the Zimbabweans were never really in the game due to the consistent loss of wickets.

Williams (three), who had been in good form during the triangular series, was well-caught at first slip by Hashim Amla off the bowling of Duminy (3-35). Elton Chigumbura (13) and Malcolm Waller (17) could offer little defence as the hosts were bundled out in 47,2 overs.

De Villiers used seven bowlers, including himself, with Duminy the pick of the lot. Dale Steyn (1-24), Morkel, Wayne Parnell (1-39), Aaron Phangiso (1-38) and Rossouw (1-17) all grabbed one scalp, but the captain failed to pick up a wicket with two overs of medium-paced in-swingers, conceding 13 runs.

— SuperSport