Home CRICKET T20 WORLD CUP South Africa Beat Zimbabwe, Top Group 1 at T20 World Cup

South Africa Beat Zimbabwe, Top Group 1 at T20 World Cup

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South Africa Beat Zimbabwe, Top Group 1 at T20 World Cup
Proteas secure semi-final spot, face New Zealand next

South Africa defeats Zimbabwe by 5 wickets, topping Group 1 at T20 World Cup. Proteas beat Zimbabwe, setting up semi-final clash with New Zealand. Sikandar Raza scores 73 & takes 3 wickets.


South Africa wins 7th game in T20 World Cup, beating Zimbabwe...


South Africa has maintained its 100% record at the T20 World Cup, beating Zimbabwe by five wickets in their final Super Eight fixture in Delhi. This win marks South Africa's seventh victory in seven games, securing their spot in the semi-finals against New Zealand in Kolkata on Wednesday.


Zimbabwe's captain, Sikandar Raza, put up a brave fight, scoring 73 runs and taking three wickets, but it wasn't enough to stop South Africa's winning streak. Dewald Brevis and David Miller helped South Africa recover from an early wobble, with Tristan Stubbs and George Linde sealing the win with an unbeaten 53-run partnership.


The Proteas had already secured their spot in the semi-finals before facing Zimbabwe, but a win would put them on top of Group 1. And that's exactly what happened, as they defeated Zimbabwe to set up a clash with New Zealand, whom they've already beaten by seven wickets in the group stage on February 14.


Zimbabwe chose to bat first, but were held to 153/7 in 20 overs, thanks to some solid bowling from South Africa. Sikandar Raza put up a fight, scoring 73 off 43 balls, but it wasn't enough to trouble the Proteas, who chased down the target with ease, finishing with 13 balls to spare.


Dewald Brevis led the charge with a blistering 42 off 18 balls, while George Linde and Tristan Stubbs saw the team home with an unbeaten 53-run partnership. Raza did pick up three wickets, but it wasn't enough to stop South Africa's winning streak, with Lungi Ngidi and Corbin Bosch also chipping in with crucial wickets.


Sikandar Raza was Zimbabwe's hero, scoring a brilliant 73 off 43 balls, including four sixes. Clive Madande's unbeaten 26 was the next best effort, but overall, Zimbabwe's batters struggled to fire, often trying to force the pace and getting caught out.


South Africa's bowlers shared the wickets, with young speedster Kwena Maphaka (2-21) and Corbin Bosch (2-40) leading the charge. They kept the pressure on Zimbabwe, setting the stage for a tense chase.




Sikandar Raza was Zimbabwe's game-changer, not just with his 73-run knock, but also with his excellent bowling spell (3-29). He took crucial wickets, including Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, and Dewald Brevis, keeping Zimbabwe in the hunt. Despite this, South Africa's chase was relatively comfortable, with the team never truly looking troubled.


“Nice to get the win, it can be a tricky one when you change the team a bit and the boys haven't really been playing,” South Africa captain Markram said. 


“The boys really stepped up today. We would have liked to be more clinical with the bat, but it was probably a good thing that the middle order was put under a bit of pressure and came through it.”




South Africa's bowling approach saw them spread the ball around, with Anrich Nortje and George Linde also getting opportunities. Both had been somewhat peripheral figures in the tournament, but got their chance against Zimbabwe.




“The least you can do is give opportunities to guys who have been working really hard behind the scenes. At least if we need them they have had a game.”






“It is really exciting to have a semi-final in Kolkata against New Zealand. The boys will be up for it, you look at playing one really good game of cricket and the result takes care of itself. But you need to put in 40 good overs.”





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