Proteas’ spinners strangle Zim after bright start

South Africa’s spinners, skipper Bjorn Fortuin and Prenelan Subrayen, slowed Zimbabwe’s momentum after a bright start as the Proteas restricted their neighbours to 144 for eight in their T20I match at the Namibian Cricket Ground in Windhoek on Saturday.

Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza won the toss and opted to bat first, and he was well served by openers Brian Bennett and Ben Curran, who slammed 45 in five overs. Duan Jansen was belted for 15 in his opening over while debutant Eathan Bosch went for 16 in his first two overs.

Jansen was whisked out of the attack after his first over but returned in the sixth to claim the first wicket, with Curran (24 in 12 balls) well held by Tony de Zorzi at mid-on. Still, Zimbabwe would have been happy to reach 55 for one in the power play and 76 for one at the halfway mark.

But the SA spinners were beginning to exert control, and Fortuin claimed the second wicket as Dion Myers swept him to deep midwicket to depart for 17 in 17 balls.

His spin twin, Subrayen, then grabbed the key wicket of Bennett, who yorked himself coming down the pitch, losing his off-stump. The opener had struck 34 in 35 balls, including four fours and a six.

It was now the turn of Bosch, on debut, to take his first wicket, claiming the scalp of Raza, brilliantly caught by a diving Jordan Hermann at extra cover. The innings was falling away fast, but an entertaining 30 in 13 balls by Tadiwanashe Marumani, including three sixes and a four, enabled Zimbabwe to post a moderately challenging total.

Subrayen claimed 2-27 off his four overs while Fortuin took 1-25. Bosch and Kwena Maphaka took a wicket each while Jansen was the most successful, but also the most expensive, as he ended with 3-45.

SOUTH AFRICA: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Jordan Hermann, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Rubin Hermann, Eathan Bosch, Duan Jansen, Bjorn Fortuin (capt), Prenelan Subrayen, Kwena Maphaka

ZIMBABWE: Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (capt), Ryan Burn, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Brad Evans, Graeme Cremer, Newman Nyamhuri, Blessing Muzarabani