The Sunday News
Pic: ESPNCricInfo
Mehluli Sibanda in Paarl, South Africa
South Africa 231/6 (Hendricks 66, Klaasen 59, Tiripano 2/35) beat Zimbabwe 228 (Williams 69, Taylor 40, Tiripano 29, Steyn 3/29, Rabada 3/32) by four wickets
ZIMBABWE were last night punished by South Africa for failing to take advantage of a good batting track at Boland Park with the Proteas winning the final One Day International cricket match by four wickets to complete a 3-0 series whitewash over their neighbours.
Chevrons coach Lalchand Rajput got his wish of winning the toss on a batting paradise when skipper Hamilton Masakadza called correctly at toss of coin time and chose to bat. Left hander Sean Williams top scored with 69, followed by Brendan Taylor on 40 and there was a notable contribution of 29 from Donald Tiripano down the order, the Chevrons bowled out for 228 in 49.3 overs, a score which proved not enough to defend.
Opener Reeza Hendricks top scored with 66, complemented by Heinrich Klaasen’s 59, the South Africans losing six wickets on their way to a comfortable victory under floodlights, attained with 28 balls to spare. The Proteas achieved a clean sweep in the series, having won the first ODI by five wickets in Kimberly and the second by 120 runs in Bloemfontein.
Zimbabwe’s opening batting pair of Masakadza and Solomon Mire once again failed to fire, with Craig Ervin, coming in at number three also falling for a duck. It was left to Williams and Taylor to repair the damage with the two senior batsmen putting on 73 for the fourth wicket, Zimbabwe’s best partnership in this series. Once Taylor and Williams went, the Chevrons were in danger of not even getting past the 200-run mark.
Tiripano stood out with the bat and found some partnerships down the order to make sure that Zimbabwe went past 200 and give South Africa something decent to chase. Fast bowlers, Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada were the architects of Zimbabwe’s demise with three wickets each.
Hendricks and Aiden Markram laid the foundation for South Africa’s successful run chase with a 75-run first wicket stand.
When Hendricks was given out leg before wicket to Tiripano, Klaasen took up the task of taking South Africa over the line.
Klaasen struck his maiden ODI century, put on 66 for the fifth wicket with Khaya Zondo who was there when the Proteas finished things off.
The Zimbabwean bowlers failed to exert enough pressure on the South African batsmen with Tiripano picking up two wickets while there was a scalp each for Brandon Mavuta, Williams, Tendai Chatara and Kyle Jarvis.
— @Mdawini_29
