Hashim Amla’s 15th one-day international hundred guided South Africa to a comfortable 93-run victory in the first game of the three-match series against Zimbabwe on Sunday.
Amla batted through the innings to finish unbeaten on 122 from 132 deliveries as the Proteas posted 309-3, before spinners Imran Tahir and Aaron Phangiso took three wickets apiece to bowl Zimbabwe out for 216.
The one-sided nature of the match at Queen’s Sports Club was established right from the beginning as Amla shared a century stand with Quinton de Kock.
While the early starts for ODIs in Zimbabwe traditionally give plenty of assistance to the side bowling first and the game began under cloudy skies, the home side’s young attack was unable to capitalize on the conditions.
Seamer Neville Madziva and 19-year-old all-rounder Luke Jongwe were handed international debuts, but both struggled against an aggressive De Kock, who went to his 50 in just 42 deliveries.
However, the left-hander failed to convert the half-century into a ton for the first time in his young career when a mistimed hit from John Nyumbu’s offspin saw him depart for 63.
The dismissal prompted a period of slower scoring as Faf du Plessis bedded in and Zimbabwe’s spinners dragged the game back, before the batting powerplay sparked the South Africa innings once more with Du Plessis and Amla taking 40 runs from the five overs.
Although Du Plessis sliced a Nyumbu delivery to extra-cover to depart for 59 soon after the powerplay, Amla went to his third hundred in four matches and A.B. de Villiers and J.P. Duminy scored quick late runs as the Proteas added 101 runs in the final 10 overs.
While scores of above 300 have twice been chased down at Queens Sports Club in recent years, Zimbabwe failed to make the solid start they required as they were reduced to 34-3.
Although Hamilton Masakadza and Sean Williams revived the innings with a 100-run stand for the fourth wicket that breathed some life into the crowd, Wayne Parnell snuffed it out when he had Masakadza caught for 61.
Williams became the first of Imran Tahir’s three wickets when he departed for 51 soon after, before the leg-spinner cleaned up the tail along with Phangiso.
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
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