South Africa completed their unbeaten Super 8 campaign with a comfortable five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. The Proteas had already sealed their semifinal berth and rested key players.
Zimbabwe, playing for pride after elimination, posted 153/7, built around Sikandar Raza’s magnificent 73 off 43 balls. The rest of the batting lineup managed just 75 runs off 78 balls. South Africa’s chase stuttered early with Quinton de Kock dismissed for a duck by Raza.
Dewald Brevis smashed 42 off 18 balls to steady the innings. Raza struck thrice with the ball, claiming 3/29. George Linde and Tristan Stubbs added an unbeaten 50-run partnership to guide South Africa home.
The Proteas finished with 154/5 in 17.5 overs, maintaining their perfect record. Kwena Maphaka claimed his maiden World Cup wicket. South Africa heads to Kolkata for the semifinals with seven consecutive wins.
ZIM vs SA S8 Match Details:
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Zimbabwe vs South Africa, T20 World Cup, Super 8 Group 1 |
| Venue | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| Result | South Africa won by 5 wickets |
| Zimbabwe | 153/7 (20 overs) |
| South Africa | 154/5 (17.5 overs) |
| Player of the Match | Sikandar Raza (73 runs, 3/29) |
| Toss | Zimbabwe won and chose to bat |
First Innings Highlights
Zimbabwe opted to bat first despite injuries to key players. Tadiwanashe Marumani struck a boundary off the first ball before Kwena Maphaka dismissed him, bowled for 7. Brian Bennett and Dion Myers struggled to accelerate.
George Linde dismissed Myers, caught at midwicket for 11. Sikandar Raza counterattacked brilliantly, reaching his fifty off 29 balls. He struck eight fours and four sixes in a captain’s knock. Ryan Burl fell LBW to Lungi Ngidi for 5 after reviewing unsuccessfully. Anrich Nortje dismissed Bennett, caught at mid-off for 15.
Raza dominated the middle overs, smashing boundaries regularly. He reached 73 off 43 balls before Maphaka dismissed him, caught at backward point. Tony Munyonga was bowled by Corbin Bosch for 2. Clive Madande remained unbeaten on 26 off 20 balls.
Brad Evans contributed 8 before being bowled. Zimbabwe finished on 153/7. Maphaka claimed 2/21 in his debut World Cup appearance. Lungi Ngidi took 1/29 while Nortje claimed 1/29.
First Innings Best Performers
| Category | Player | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Best Batsman | Sikandar Raza | 73 runs (43 balls, 8×4, 4×6) |
| Best Bowler | Kwena Maphaka | 4-0-21-2 |
Second Innings Highlights
Sikandar Raza opened the bowling with his off-spin. He dismissed Quinton de Kock caught behind for a duck in the first over. Aiden Markram fell for 4, bowled by Raza’s carrom ball. Ryan Rickelton and Dewald Brevis steadied the chase.
Rickelton struck four sixes in his 31 off 22 balls. Brad Evans dismissed Rickelton caught at short third for 31. Dewald Brevis exploded with powerful hitting, racing to 42 off just 18 balls.
He struck two fours and four sixes. Raza claimed his third wicket, dismissing Brevis, caught at long-on. David Miller contributed 22 off 16 balls with two fours and two sixes. Blessing Muzarabani removed Miller, caught at short third.
South Africa slipped to 93/4, requiring 61 runs. George Linde joined Tristan Stubbs for a crucial partnership. The pair added an unbeaten 61-run stand for the sixth wicket. Linde struck 28 off 19 balls while Stubbs made 17 off 20.
They guided South Africa home with 13 balls remaining. South Africa finished on 154/5, completing their seventh consecutive victory. Raza’s all-round brilliance earned him player of the match honors.
Second Innings Best Performers
| Category | Player | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Best Batsman | Dewald Brevis | 42 runs (18 balls, 2×4, 4×6) |
| Best Bowler | Sikandar Raza | 4-0-29-3 |
