Nini, Marx help South Africa limit Zimbabwe to sub-par total

Nthabiseng Nini and Eliz-Mari Marx gave little away and claimed vital wickets in the powerplay to help South Africa Women bowl Zimbabwe Women out for 116 in their T20I contest at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Friday afternoon. South Africa needs 117 runs to win.

The toss went Zimbabwe's way and the hosts opted to bat first. South Africa responded to the challenge with firm tones and bundled them out in 19.4 overs.

Nini, who had a dream start to her international career, was the pick of the South African bowlers with three wickets for 17 runs in 3.3 overs. Kayla Reyneke also claimed a trio of wickets, but conceded 29 runs in four overs.

Laura Wolvaardt, the South Africa captain, entrusted Nini with new ball duties and the 21-year-old returned figures of three wickets for 10 runs in two overs in her opening spell. The medium-pacer dislodged Nyasha Gwanzura with her first delivery of the game and accounted for Kelis Ndlovu with the fifth ball of the over. The third scalp came in her second over, when she got Loreen Tshuma to edge behind to Karabo Meso behind the stumps.

Eliz-Mari Marx complemented Nini with good lines and length from the other end. The 23-year-old was rewarded for her discipline with the prized wicket of Sharne Meyers, whom Zimbabwe had been hoping would take control of the contest as the senior player. With Meyers gone, Zimbabwe's hopes for a significant total lay on Modester Mupachikwa's shoulders. The 29-year-old held things together with a patient 36 from 43 balls.

Mupachikwa was part of two important partnerships for Zimbabwe, a 35-run fourth-wicket stand with Beloved Biza (13) and her 34-run sixth-wicket wicket partnership with Michelle Mavunga. Mavunga swung hard for her 18-ball 21. The pair took advantage of South Africa's lapses in the field and ran well between the wickets. Unfortunately, their effort wasn't enough to lift Zimbabwe to a total beyond 120 runs.

Annerie Dercksen and Marx were the other top performers with the ball for South Africa in the contest. Dercksen finished with two wickets for 15 runs in three overs, while Marx was the most economical with a single wicket for nine runs in three overs.

SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Nondumiso Shangase, Faye Tunnicliffe, Annerie Dercksen, Kayla Reyneke, Karabo Meso (wk), Eliz-Mari Marx, Caitlin Wyngaard, Seshnie Naidu, Nthabiseng Nini.

ZIMBABWE: Sharne Mayers, Nyasha Gwanzura, Kelis Ndhlovu, Beloved Biza, Loreen Tshuma, Modester Mupachikwa (wk), Michelle Mavunga, Christina Mutasa, Lindokuhle Mabhera, Nomvelo Sibanda, Tendai Makusha.