Dewald Brevis clubbed a breezy 41 as the Proteas eased to a five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in their Tri-Series opener at Harare Sports Club on Monday.
Brevis faced just 17 balls and smashed five sixes and a four while Ruben Hermann added 45 runs on debut as the Proteas reached their target of 142 with 25 balls to spare.
The Proteas’ innings got off to a shaky start with Lhuan-dre Pretorius sent packing with the first legitimate ball of the innings caught and bowled by Richard Ngarava. Pretorius was also on his T20I debut.
Left-arm medium pacer Ngarava was on the money again in his second over when he had Reeza Hendricks chop a delivery onto his middle stump for 17.
Trevor Gwandu caused more damage and further wobbled the Proteas in the run chase in the fifth over when he got the big fish Rassie van der Dussen for 16, leaving the Proteas on 38/3.
Brevis and Hermann steadied the ship for the Proteas with their hard-hit 72-run partnership with Brevis particularly devastating. But with 30 runs required, Brevis miscued a Gwandu ball to Brian Bennett at extra cover.
Ngarava came back to uproot Hermann’s off stump to make it 130/5 in the 15th over before Corbin Bosch led the team home with an unbeaten 23.
Earlier, Sikandar Raza played a captain’s knock to help Zimbabwe reach their total of 141/6. He scored an unbeaten 54 runs off 34 balls, which included three boundaries and two sixes. His contribution, combined with a 66-run partnership with Ryan Burl, saved the Chevrons’ innings.
The Proteas bowlers started the innings on a good note after skipper Van der Dussen won the toss and elected to field. They restricted Zimbabwe to 34/1 after the first powerplay. Lungi Ngidi claimed the scalp of Wessly Madhevere (1) in the second over, after the batter stood on his wicket.
Two overs after the first powerplay, and in his first over, Proteas wrist spinner Nqaba Peter rattled Clive Mandade’s (8) stumps.
Brian Bennett, who shared a 31-run stand with Mandade, followed him to the dressing room for 30, leaving the home side in a spot of bother on 55/3 halfway through their innings.
Bennett was deceived in the air by George Linde and holed out to Reeza Hendricks, stationed a few metres inside the fence at deep midwicket.
Raza and Burl then started to pick up the pieces with their stand. Their running between the wickets was carried out with urgency and their shot selection was precise. They ensured their team made it past the 100-run mark with five overs remaining.
Of the two, Raza was more the aggressor. He reached his 14th career T20 fifty, and at the time, Zimbabwe were looking at a total above 150. But that tempo dropped after Burl was dismissed by Nandré Burger for 29 runs off 20 balls. He was caught at long on by Rubin Hermann after failing to clear the ropes.
In the last over, Linde picked up the wickets of Tashinga Musekiwa for nine runs and removed Tony Munyonga for a golden duck. He finished with the economic figures of 3/10 in his three overs.
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