Dane Piedt and Morne Morkel’s lethal deliveries allowed them to grab six wickets and move South Africa to the brink of victory as Zimbabwe limped to tea on 141-7 in their second innings on the fourth day of a one-off Test yesterday.
With the scores level at Harare Sports Club, South Africa were confident of mopping up the Zimbabwe tail in the final session and chasing down what was likely to be a small victory target to claim a win that would see them maintain their No. 1 Test ranking.
Richmond Mutumbami (15) and John Nyumbu (4) were set to continue after the interval, hoping to buy time and give the bowlers some sort of target that would make life uncomfortable for South Africa on a wicket that has proven difficult to bat on.
Photo: AFP
It was a terrible middle session for the hosts as their middle-order crumbled in the face of the Proteas onslaught.
Resuming after lunch on 80-2, Zimbabwe lost Mark Vermeulen (21) plumb leg before wicket to Dale Steyn.
From there it was a procession as debutant spinner Piedt had Vusi Sibanda (45) caught and bowled, before he snagged the big wicket of captain Brendan Taylor (5) caught at short-leg by Dean Elgar.
Morkel entered into the attack and bowled Regis Chakabva (15) after the batsman offered no stroke, while Sean Williams (3) was brilliantly caught at point by J.P. Duminy off the lanky paceman.
Piedt had match figures of seven for 150, to date the best performance by a South Africa spinner on Test debut since Ian Smith took seven for 189 against England in 1947.
In South Africa’s first inning’s on Monday, Nyumbu’s five-wicket haul on his Test debut was all the sweeter given he feared his opportunity to play international cricket would never come, having also given up the chance to be a professional soccer player.
The 29-year-old was beaming and had banished any rueful thoughts about a life in soccer after recording figures of five for 157, admittedly on a helpful Harare Sports Club pitch, and counting top batsmen Faf du Plessis, Duminy and A.B. de Villiers among his wickets in South Africa’s first innings total of 397.
“It is such an honor for me to represent my country and I am just glad things have turned out well,” Nyumbu told reporters after stumps on Monday.
It is puzzling why Nyumbu — once coached by Shane Warne’s mentor, Terry Jenner — has had to wait so long for his break.
“It has been a rocky road for me, but it has culminated in the now and at times like this you don’t remember what has gone in the past, you live in the moment,” he said. “My passion for the sport has kept me going, so many people had written me off, but I’m glad I held on and kept going because I have managed to get to this stage.”
Asked which was the favorite wicket of his five, a smiling Nyumbu was quick with his response.
“A.B. [de Villiers] — it’s an honor to bowl to the best batsman in the world and an even greater honor to get him out,” he said.
Nyumbu received praise from Du Plessis, even after the bowler had denied him a fourth Test century when he steered a delivery to backward short-leg when on 98.
“He bowled very well, he bowled a lot of overs and not many bad balls,” Du Plessis said. “When a guy comes in on debut, generally you get a lot more to hit. He deserved his five wickets.”
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