Zimbabwe Clinch Tri-Series Victory By Beating South Africa

Zimbabwe Clinch Tri-Series Victory By Beating South Africa

Brendan Taylor struck a swift half-century as he led his side to victory in Harare

©REUTERS / Action Images

Zimbabwe 150-1 (Taylor 59no) beat
South Africa 146-6 (du Plessis 66) by 9 wickets
Tri-Nations Twenty20 Series Final, Harare

Zimbabwe beat South Africa by nine wickets with 17 balls remaining to clinch victory in the Tri-Nations Twenty20 Series final in Harare.

Francois du Plessis hit 66 as South Africa hit 146 for six but half-centuries from Hamilton Masakadza and Brendan Taylor saw Zimbabwe close on 150 for one.

Masakadza hit 58 in 50 balls and captain Taylor scored 59 in 41 deliveries and the pair put on an unbroken stand of 118 to win the match.

They came together after Vusi Sibanda fell for 23 and confidently steered their side home, much to the delight of the home crowd.

Earlier, du Plessis made 66 in 57 balls to help South Africa recover from a poor start which saw them slip to six for two and 45 for three.

Early strikes from Kyle Jarvis (2-22), Christopher Mpofu (1-19) and Graeme Cremer (1-17) pegged South Africa back although Albie Morkel thumped 34 not out in 23 balls as the Proteas finished strongly.

Prosper Utseya and Malcolm Waller also grabbed a wicket apiece before it was left to their in-form batsmen to issue a stark warning to their opponents at the ICC World Twenty20 later this year that they are a team heading in the right direction.

Cricket World 2012