TRI-SERIES IN ZIMBABWE
Jacob Duffy picked up three wickets for New Zealand © Getty
Tim Robinson and debutant Bevon Jacobs led a rescue act with an unbroken 103-run stand for the sixth wicket before New Zealand’s bowlers came up with a collective effort to power their side to a 21-run win against South Africa in the second match of the T20I tri-series in Zimbabwe. Having lost half their side inside the first 10 overs, Robinson (75* off 57) and Jacobs (44* off 30) led a fine rearguard that helped New Zealand finish with 173 for 5. In reply, South Africa lost wickets at regular intervals and folded for 152, with Jacob Duffy (3-20), Matt Henry (3-34) and Ish Sodhi (2-34) doing most of the damage.
Asked to bat first, New Zealand made a brisk start with Tim Seifert dominating the strike in the opening overs. He raced to 22, striking four boundaries, before falling to a slower delivery from Lungi Ngidi. Devon Conway, who had faced only one delivery in the first three overs, struck two fours off Kwena Maphaka. However, he too departed in the same over, top-edging a short ball. Robinson looked to rebuild, but support at the other end was lacking as New Zealand continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Daryl Mitchell top-edged a pull off Gerald Coetzee, while Senuran Muthusamy picked up his maiden T20I wicket by trapping Mitchell Hay in front with an arm ball. Although Robinson was handed a reprieve by Rassie van der Dussen, Maphaka struck soon after, using the short ball again to dismiss James Neesham and leave New Zealand struggling at 70 for 5 in the 10th over.
The momentum began to shift when Jacobs joined Robinson at the crease. The pair launched a counterattack, each clearing the ropes to kick off the acceleration. Jacobs took on Ngidi for a six, while Robinson brought up his 42-ball half-century with a maximum over deep backward point off Coetzee. Corbin Bosch applied the brakes in the 17th over with just seven runs conceded, but Maphaka leaked 15 in the next – including a six from Jacobs and four wides. Robinson followed with two boundaries off Bosch in the penultimate over before both batters launched a final assault, hitting a six apiece off Coetzee in a 19-run final over as New Zealand surged past 170, scoring 63 in the last five overs.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius gave South Africa’s chase an explosive start, striking six boundaries within the first four overs. Reeza Hendricks joined in with a four off Sodhi, but the early momentum was checked when Matt Henry had Pretorius edging behind. Rubin Hermann soon followed, undone by a short ball from Jacob Duffy, leaving South Africa at 50 for 2 by the end of the PowerPlay. The slide continued as Hendricks, Muthusamy, and van der Dussen fell in quick succession, reducing the hosts to 62/5 by the ninth over. Dewald Brevis attempted a rescue act, launching three sixes in a brisk counterattack, but his effort ended when he mistimed a Henry delivery to long-on shortly after South Africa crossed 100 in the 11th over.
Bosch struck a six off Mitchell Santner but was trapped leg-before by Sodhi in the next over, setting South Africa back once again. George Linde then stepped up, clearing the ropes against both Santner and Sodhi to bring the equation down to 38 off the last four overs. However, a miserly 17th over from Neesham, which went for just seven runs, ramped up the pressure. Coetzee managed a boundary off Duffy, but the seamer hit back with the wickets of Linde and Kwena Maphaka to take New Zealand closer. With 26 needed off the final two overs, Coetzee edged a Henry delivery for four before holing out to long-on, as South Africa were bowled out in the 19th over.
Brief scores: New Zealand 173/5 in 20 overs (Tim Robinson 75*, Bevon Jacobs 44*; Kwena Maphaka 2-38) beat South Africa 152 in 18.2 overs (Dewald Brevis 35, George Linde 30; Jacob Duffy 3-20, Matt Henry 3-34) by 21 runs.
© Cricbuzz
