In the last Super 8 game for both teams in Group 1, it was Sikandar Raza who won the toss and elected to bat first on a good pitch and clear hot day as both teams made multiple changes due to different reasons. Zimbabwe started decently, but South Africa kept chipping away and have removed both openers in powerplay. Captain Sikandar Raza has come in and will be key going ahead in this innings.
South Africa strikes twice to remove both openers cheaply in powerplay.Â
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Tadiwanashe Marumani and Brian Bennett came out to open for Zimbabwe while George Linde had ball in hand for South Africa. Marumani got off the mark with a boundary as the ball was down the leg side in which Marumani hung back and clipped it past short fine leg for a boundary. Bennett came on strike as he shuffled to the off-side and got down on a knee and swept it away over backward square leg for the maximum.
Kwena Maphaka came into the attack next. He struck early as he removed Marumani for 7 off 7 balls with one four to his name. Maphaka bowled a full ball angling into the leg stump. Marumani stayed leg side of it and there was no footwork and went across the line way too early in the innings as he looked to heave it over midwicket. He missed the ball on the inside edge as the ball went back and hit the leg stump. Dion Myers came out to bat next. Myers got off the mark with a boundary as he got to the pitch of the ball to drive it down the ground past the bowler for a boundary.
Lungi Ngidi came into the attack next. Bennett picked the length early and freed his arms to pull it past wide mid-on for a boundary. Maphaka continued and bowled a tight over. Anrich Nortje came into the attack next. He got rid of the man in form Bennett for 15 off 13 balls with one four and one six to his name.
Nortje bowled a good length delivery outside the off-stump. Bennett stayed leg side of the ball and looked to loft it through the line. He was late on the shot as he chipped the lofted drive straight to mid-off fielder. Captain Sikandar Raza came out to bat next. Raza got off the mark as well.
Corbin Bosch came into the attack to bowl the last over of powerplay. He was welcomed with a boundary as Raza drove the ball past the diving man at backward point as the ball went through the fielder and away for a boundary. Raza was in the mood as he next smoked it over square leg for the maximum. Raza was on fire as he creamed the ball past diving extra cover and away for a boundary to end the over. At the end of the powerplay, Zimbabwe were 45/2 with Raza unbeaten on 16 off 8 balls and Myers unbeaten on 6 off 8 balls as players paused for Drinks Break.
Dion Myers falls but Sikandar Raza leads Zimbabwe’s fightback at the start of middle overs phase.Â
George Linde came back into the attack after the break. The 50 came up for Zimbabwe in 6.4 overs. Anrich Nortje came back into the attack as Raza manufactured a shot by shuffling on the leg side early and the bowler followed him but Raza played it on the rise through extra covers for a boundary. Raza then slapped the ball away by opening his shoulders and smacked it over wide long-on for the maximum. The rest of the overs was milked away by the batters.
Linde continued as Myers was dismissed for 11 off 16 balls with one four to his name. Linde bowled a good length ball that spun away towards the off pole after pitching. The batter hung back so he could get underneath it and even crouched before he unfurled the pull shot and could not get the timing right as Brevis took the catch at midwicket region. Ryan Burl came out to bat next and got off the mark.
Captain Aiden Markram came into the attack next to bowl the 10th over. Markram wasted a review for LBW against Raza as the ball pitched outside the leg stump. Raza then took on Markram as he moved across before slamming it over long leg for the maximum. Then he hit a boundary by slog sweeping down on one knee and dragged it to deep midwicket where Mapahaka came in and made a meal of the situation. The ball went away to the fence. At the end of 10 overs, Zimbabwe were 80/3 in 10 overs with Raza unbeaten on 42 off 21 balls while Burl is unbeaten on 3 off 3 balls.
What Lies Ahead.Â
Zimbabwe have made themselves to 80/3 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the innings and decently placed. Raza is out there and will be key going forward while South Africa will hope to get and chip away at wickets in regular intervals to tighten the screws. Zimbabwe have done well but a lot of work has to be done to get to a competitive total. Let’s see how the rest of the innings unfolds from here.
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