Harare, July 14: South African batter Rubin Hermann made an impressive T20 debut and led Proteas to a five-wicket victory against Zimbabwe in the opening game of the tri-series on Monday.
The 28-year-old Herman top-scored with 45 off 37 balls and made up for the top-order collapse before South Africa cruised to 142-5 in 15.5 overs in its first T20 this year.
Dewald Brevis smashed five sixes in his belligerent 41 off just 17 balls in a strong Proteas chase.
Zimbabwe was earlier limited to 141-6, despite an unbeaten 54 from its skipper Sikandar Raza, with George Linde picking up 3-10 after South Africa captain Rassie van der Dussen won the toss and elected to field.
Fast bowlers Lungi Ngidi (1-15) and Nandre Burger (1-22), returning after almost 10-month absence from lower-back stress fracture, bowled well upfront before Raza and Ryan Burl (29) provided the acceleration for Zimbabwe in the second half of the innings.
South Africa will take on New Zealand in the second game of the tri-series on Wednesday.
Hermann and Brevis control the chaseTall fast bowler Richard Ngarava (3-35) struck twice inside the powerplay when another debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius offered a return catch off the first legitimate ball in Proteas’ chase and Reeza Hendricks’ middle stump was knocked over when he tried to go for an ambitious drive and got a big inside edge.
Captain van der Dussen struck two sixes, but was caught at mid-on off fast bowler Trevor Gwandu (2-15) as South Africa slipped to 3-38 in the sixth over.
But Herman and Brevis steadied the chase with 72-run stand as Brevis smashed Burl for 25 runs in one over that featured three sixes and a boundary. Brevis fell in the 12th over when he tried to hit Gwandu inside out over extra cover and sliced a catch to Bennett. Ngarava flattened Hermann’s off-stump off a ball that kept a bit low with only 12 needed for victory.
Pace and spin pin down ZimbabweFast bowlers Ngidi and Burger didn’t allow Zimbabwe batters to score freely in the first half and Brian Bennett’s (30) patience also ran out as he holed out to deep mid-wicket when he tried to push the acceleration against Linde in the 11th over.
Raza and Burl tried to up the ante in the death overs but Burl was caught by Hermann at long off in the 18th over after scoring 29 off 20 balls.
Linde picked up two wickets of successive balls in the final over before Wellington Masakadza avoided the hat-trick ball, but left-arm spinner Linde finished off well without conceding a boundary off his three overs. (AP)
