Captain Sikandar Raza led from the front with his 73 off 42 balls and helped Zimbabwe recover from a tricky position. Raza came inside the powerplay and took the game head on and kept South Africa at bay as much as he could. In the end, Zimbabwe got to 153/7 in 20 overs with Kwena Maphaka and Corbin Bosch picking up 2 wickets apiece. South Africa bowled decently and will be the happier side at the interval one would have to say that.
South Africa removes both openers in the powerplay.Â
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Tadiwanashe Marumani and Brian Bennett came out to bat for Zimbabwe while George Linde started the proceedings for South Africa. Marumani got the ball on a length down the leg side. Marumani hung back and just clipped it past short fine leg for a boundary. Bennett joined the fun as well as he shuffled across and swept it over backward square leg for the maximum.
Kwena Maphaka came into the attack from the other end. Maphaka struck first blood for the Proteas as he dismissed Marumani for 7 off 7 balls with one boundary to his name by cleaning him up with the batter trying to heave over midwicket and missing it to castle the stumps. Dion Myers came out to bat next. Myers got off the mark with a boundary with a cracking drive down the ground for a boundary.
Lungi Ngidi came into the attack next as Bennett picked the length early and belted the pull over 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 big fish Bennett for 15 off 13 balls with one four and one six to his name as he chipped it down to mid-off fielder. Sikandar Raza came out to bat next and the Zimbabwean captain got off the mark.
Corbin Bosch came into the attack next to bowl the last over of powerplay. Raza welcomed him with an open faced drive as the ball went past diving backward point where the fielder made a meal of it and the ball went away to the fence. Maphaka was the culprit. Raza then smoked the ball by swatting the ball over square leg for the maximum. Raza was on a roll as he creamed the ball hard through extra cover for a boundary to end the over and powerplay.
Zimbabwe reached 45/2 in 6 overs of powerplay with Raza unbeaten on 16 off 8 balls while Myers was with him unbeaten on 6 off 8 balls as we also paused for the Drinks Break.
Sikandar Raza keeps Zimbabwe in the fray even as South Africa chip away at the wickets in middle phase.Â
George Linde came back into the attack post powerplay and break as the 50 came up for Zimbabwe in 6.4 overs. Anrich Nortje returned to the attack as Raza welcomed him back by shuffling across and played it on the rise through extra covers for a boundary. Raza then slapped it away as he backed away and smashed it over wide long-on for the maximum. Linde continued and removed a struggling Myers for 11 off 16 balls with one boundary to his name as he was caught at midwicket region. Ryan Burl came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Captain Aiden Markram came into the attack to bowl the 10th over of the innings. Markram burnt a review against Raza for LBW as the ball clearly pitched outside the leg stump. Raza slog swept it away by moving across and slamming it over long leg fence for the maximum. Raza then got down on one knee for another slog sweep and got it to deep midwicket in the gap for a boundary. Zimbabwe were 80/3 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the contest.
Lungi Ngidi continued and he struck removing Burl for 5 off 5 balls LBW plumb in front. The batter reviewed and burnt the review as well. Tony Munyonga came out to bat next. He got off the mark as well. Corbin Bosch returned and he struck as well removing Munyonga for 2 off 5 balls as the pace did it for the batter. He looked to flick across the line and missed it playing all around it as the stumps were clattered. Clive Madande came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Maphaka came back into the attack as Raza got a ball on the pads, that he helped it on its way past the keeper for a boundary. Soon Raza reached his fifty in 29 balls at the completion of 13 overs. Anrich Nortje came back into the attack. Raza took him on as the ball was on the leg stump line as Raza made room by moving outside the leg again and he picked the change of pace and waited for it to arrive before driving it between mid-off and extra cover. The 100 came up for Zimbabwe in 13.4 overs.
Zimbabwe reached 102/5 in 14 overs when we again paused for Drinks Break. Lungi Ngidi came onto bowl after the break and bowled decently while Raza broke the shackles as the slow dipping full ball was easily dealt with as he made room outside leg stump and then got to the pitch of the ball to go for an inside out drive over extra cover for a boundary. Zimbabwe reached 110/5 in 15 overs with Raza unbeaten on 62 off 37 balls and Madande unbeaten on 4 off 7 balls.
Late order flourish takes Zimbabwe to 153/7 in 20 overs.Â
Corbin Bosch came back into the attack. Raza thumped Bosch by shuffling across and took the ball on the full to thrash it through extra covers for a boundary. Madande shuffled across and helped it past short fine leg for a boundary. Kwena Maphaka came back into the attack. Raza dispatched the ball by swatting over midwicket for the maximum. Maphaka got the big fish as he removed Raza via a slower ball which he hit to Miller at backward point who made no mistake. Brad Evans came out to bat next.
Nortje came back as Madande drove it on the up through extra covers for a boundary. Ngidi bowled a high full toss which was taken in the deep but TV umpire deemed it as No ball and so Evans survived. Free hit yielded a dot ball. Evans finally connected as he stood deep in the crease and launched over extra cover for the maximum. Corbin Bosch came to bowl the final over of the innings.
Bosch cleaned up Evans for 8 off 11 balls as the batter tried to sweep and missed as the ball cannoned the stumps. Wellington Masakadza came out to bat next. Madande scooped it away by placing it to deep third man region for a boundary. Zimbabwe got past 150 and finished with 153/7 in 20 overs. Madande was unbeaten on 26 off 20 balls with 3 fours to his name. Wellington Masakadza was unbeaten on 1 off 1 ball. 5 extras given by the fielding side.
South African bowlers bowled really well. Kwena Maphaka was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/21 in 4 overs. Corbin Bosch finished with 2/40 in 4 overs. Lungi Ngidi finished with 1/29 in 4 overs. Anrich Nortje finished with 1/29 in 4 overs. George Linde finished with 1/22 in 3 overs. Aiden Markram bowled an over for 11 runs. This means South Africa needs 154 runs to win off 20 overs to make it 3 wins out of 3 in Super 8s.
Who’s Winning, South Africa or Zimbabwe?Â
Zimbabwe thanks to their captain has gone past 150 which is a competitive score but considering the batting form of South Africa may not be enough in the end. The Chevrons have to bowl exceptionally well to defend this score from here. South Africa heavy favourites to win the contest from here. Let’s see what the chase has instore for us.
Also Read:Â ICC T20 WC 2026: South Africa Strikes Early To Dent Zimbabwe.