SA vs ZIM Ball by Ball Commentary

OUT! CAUGHT! And it's all over. SOUTH AFRICA WIN THE TRI-SERIES. They beat Zimbabwe by 48 runs! Length ball, angling away, and Muzarabani goes hunting for the big shot once more, playing it across the line. This time the bat face turns at the point of contact, and the ball balloons off the leading edge, high into the sky toward cover. Bjorn Fortuin at extra cover calls for the catch, sees the ball like a hawk and settles under it to take a fine catch. Jubilation in the South African camp as they have kept their unbeaten record against Zimbabwe intact in T20Is.

Duan bowls it full and outside off, Brad Evans shuffles across and plants his back knee into the pitch to play the lap shot but chips it over mid-wicket for a single.

FOUR! Blazed away into the gap! 150 up for Zimbabwe. Full and outside off, Brad Evans brings his bottom hand to play and crunches it through deep extra cover, beating long off to his left for a boundary.

SIX! Connects, and connects so well. FIFTY FOR BRAD EVANS! That's his maiden T20I half-century. He has been one of the bright spots for Zimbabwe in this tri-series and is enjoying himself out there. Into the slot, on middle, Brad Evans gets his front leg out of the way and absolutely carts it over deep mid-wicket for a cracking six.

FIVE WIDES! Untidy by Connor Esterhuizen. Takes pace off, on a back of a length, pushed across the right-hander. Evans lets it pass. The ball bounces in front of Connor Esterhuizen and nutmegs him before racing past short third.

Nails the yorker, around off. Blessing hangs deep in the crease and has a big swing at it. Ekes out an inside edge onto the pads and it rolls away on the off side for a single.

SIX! High and handsome from Blessing! Juicy full toss from Jansen, on off. Muzarabani takes it on the full and, with a high elbow extension, he dumps it behind long on for a six. He holds his pose after playing the shot and that brings about a loud cheer from the Zimbabwean faithful in the stadium.

Wide yorker, on the off side, Brad Evans looks to go big downtown, but can only squeeze it back to the bowler.

Nails the yorker in, does Maphaka. Brad Evans looks to work it across, but gets an inside edge onto the front pad.

Swing and a miss! Short and slanted down leg, Brad Evans swings for pull but misses to connect. Surprisingly, it is not called a wide. May have brushed something on its way to the keeper.

Full and slow, on the off stump. Muzarabani eases it in front of point with soft hands and they amble across for a run.

Toe-crushing yorker from around the stump, angling in and around leg. Blessing Muzarabani's head falls over while trying the flick but gets a leading edge and the ball rolls to the off side.

OUT! HIGH UP AND CAUGHT BEHIND! Maphaka breaks an entertaining partnership for the ninth wicket. Coming around the wicket, Maphaka angles this one into the batter, rolling his fingers over the ball. Matigimu goes for the big hoick but can only get a top edge, and the keeper, Connor Esterhuizen, does the rest, backpedalling a touch before completing a tidy catch. South Africa are on the verge of triumphing in the finale. Zimbabwe are 133/9.

FOUR! This is now Brad Evans' highest T20I score. It also brings up the 50-run partnership between Evans and Kundai. Serves it on a fuller length, on the leg stump. Brad Evans gets down on a knee and nails the sweep shot over the square leg fielder, and finds the gap for a boundary.

Overpitched on leg, Kundai Matigimu drills it to long on for a single.

SIX! Clears the ropes once again! Full now from Subrayen, on the off stump, Kundai Matigimu gets on the front foot, and pumps it high over long on for six more.

SIX! Goes the distance! A bit short and on off, Kundai Matigimu clears the front leg away and swings it behind deep mid-wicket for a huge six.

Full again and outside off, Brad Evans aggressively drives it down to long off for a single.

Full, outside off, crunched away but straight to cover.

This is on a back of a length, on middle. Evans clears the front leg and smears it away behind square leg for a run.

Missed out. Loopy low full toss, outside off. Evans pre-empts the scoop and walks a long way towards the off side. He fails to connect and gets hit on the pads.

SIX! Evans made it look all too easy. Takes pace off, does Mokoena, that in-between length, following the right-hander as he backs away. Brad swats it away with the use of his wrists over deep square leg for a six.

Bowled on a good length, on off. Brad backs away and carves it over extra cover. Eathan Bosch covers good ground to his left from long off and slides to save a couple of runs for his side.

At pace now, angled into the right-hander, on a short of a length. Evans has a swing across the line but is beaten for pace and wears it on the thigh pad.

Begins with the off-cutter, full and outside off. Evans moves across to the off side but does not have the pace to work with it. The ball grazes a bit of bat and then the pad before it rolls towards the keeper.

Flat and short, on off. Evans punches it square on the off side and retains the strike with a single. 10 runs from the over. 100 needed off 36 balls.

Fires in a full ball, on off. Matigimu knocks it to long off and turns the strike over.

Slower and fuller, on off. Matigimu pushes away from his body and is beatne past the outside edge due to the turn.

Shorter and on middle. Brad pulls it wide of deep square leg for a single.

SIX! All the way. Zimbabwe go past 100. Fortuin spears in a full ball, on middle. Evans sinks to a knee and nails the slog sweep, clearing Dewald Brevis at deep mid-wicket.

Full and on middle, driven down to long on for one.

FOUR! Up and over! Following the batter with a good-length delivery. Evans manages to make room for himself and goes inside out over extra cover for a boundary.

Wide! Down leg, on a length. Brad swings and misses.

Evans was gone with a direct hit. On a hard length, on off. Matigimu stands tall and drops it in front of point before scampering through for a quick single.

Mishit but Kundai Matigimu gets away with it. Bowled on a hard length, on middle and leg. Matigimu swings across for the pull but is rushed and the ball catches the upper half of the blade. It is spooned behind mid on. Jansen runs over his right shoulder and stretches his hands out in front as he flings himself at the ball but it stays out of his reach. The deep mid-wicket fielder backs Daun up as the batters pick up a couple.

A swing and a miss. Into the deck, on middle and leg. Kundai Matigimu has a swipe across the line but is cut in half as the ball goes past the inside edge.

DROPPED! Never easy on the follow-through, and a chance goes down. Following the batter as he backs away, on a nagging length. Evans chips it back towards the bowler with a straight blade. Mokoena is late to react on his follow-through as the ball comes to him at waist height to his right. It clips his fingertips and goes down to long off. They cross.

On a good length, on middle. Brad tries to flick it away but gets an inside edge onto the pads. The ball dribbles through square leg and Brad comes charging back for the second run.

Looped up, on middle. Evans pushes it to the right of the bowler. Fortuin cannot make the stop and the batters cross for a single.

Floated up, fuller and on middle. Evans gets down on a knee and swats it wide of deep mid-wicket. Dewald Brevis moves to his right in the deep and lobs it towards the converging Tony de Zorzi as the two men mop it up. Two runs taken.

On a nagging length, on middle, smeared away to the right of long on for a single.

OUT! CAUGHT! High but not long enough. Fuller and a bit of air given by Fortuin, on middle. Nyamhuri clears the front leg and has a hoick across the line. Ends up hitting it a lot straighter down towards long on. Eathan Bosch steadies himself on the fence and has room to go behind and get right under the ball. He opts to stay side on and takes the catch over his right shoulder.

An optimistic shout for LBW but that was going down leg. Darted in on a good length, on middle and leg. Evans plays all around it and is rapped on the front pad. With Bjorn busy in appealing, the two batters sneak in a leg bye as the ball drops beside the strip on the off side.

Flighted up, on off. Nyamhuri steps out and hits it down to long off for a single.

FOUR! Put away! There is enough help from the surface, but Prenelan Subrayen seems content to fire it in at the moment. Switches to around the wicket, does Subrayen, full toss, across off. Brad latches onto it in a flash as he spanks it wide of extra cover for a boundary.

SIX! Onto the grass bank! Subrayen sprays a full toss wide on off. Evans frees his arms and flays it over the deep point fence for half a dozen.

At the stumps, on a good length. Nyamhuri clips it wide of deep mid-wicket and crosses over.

Fired in at the pads. Evans gets low and paddles it to the right of short fine leg for one more.

Flat and short, turning into the hips. Newman Nyamhuri nudges it behind square leg for a run.

Very full, outside off, Evans slams it to deep cover for a single.

Shortens the length on the stumps. Nyamhuri hangs back and nudges it to deep square leg for a couple of runs. At the halfway stage of the run chase, Zimbabwe are 65/7.

Full and sliding onto the pads, Newman Nyamhuri lunges and flicks it through mid-wicket with soft hands and they amble across for the second run.

Full on the stumps, watchfully blocked out by Newman.

OUT! CAUGHT! It is folding rather quickly now for the Chevrons as the skipper departs. The South Africans have been absolutely electric in the field today. Fortuin lands it in thereabouts of the off stump, full in length. Raza creates room and goes hard at it, attempting to smash it over cover, but loses his shape and mistimes his shot from the bottom end. The ball rifles low to the left of the cover fielder, where Jordan Hermann dives to his left and plucks it just inches above the ground. Zimbabwe find themselves 61/7 in the chase of 206 runs.

Evans comes down the track and tries to smack it over the bowler but the ball spins past his bat and beats the outside edge. It spits up a bit and also outfoxes the keeper who fails to gather it to his right. The ball rolls to short third and they cross for a bye.

In-drifter, full on the leg stump, Sikandar pushes it inside out and between mid off and cover for a single.

Fuller and outside off, Evans stays leg side of the ball and guides it to short third.

Overpitched again, outside off, Sikandar eases it into covers for a single.

Spears in a yorker at the toes, Brad Evans drops the bat down in time, gets an inside edge and the ball squirts to the leg side, behind square for a single. A slight appeal for LBW but not given.

OUT! STRAIGHT UP AND CAUGHT! Subrayen gets into the wickets as well. Uses the wider angle, does Prenelan, bowling from around the stumps. He tosses it up and lands it fuller, outside off. Marumani backs away to create room and smash it over extra cover, but ends up airing it off the toe end over cover. Jordan Hermann lurks under the ball and safely takes the catch. Zimbabwe's disappointing day with the bat continues as they fall down to 57/6.

Into the blockhole, on middle, Raza jams the bat down, opens the bat face and shovels it wide of cover for a single.

On the off stump line, full in length, Tadiwanashe Marumani drives it through mid off for a single.

Pitched shorter, around off, Tadiwanashe Marumani rocks back and slaps it to long off for a single. A very successful over for Fortuin. A wicket and just 4 runs from it.

Darts in a yorker, on off, Tadiwanashe Marumani jams the bat down and squeezes it out.

Full and flat, on off, Raza carves it to the left of cover for a single.

On a length around middle, this is worked away in front of square on the leg side for a single.

OUT! CLEANED HIM UP! The captain makes an immediate impact. Bowls from around the wicket, and lands it on a fractionally fuller length with a bit of flight given on it. Ryan Burl plays from the crease and has a big swipe across the line, but the ball spins in to beat his inside edge and crashes into the stumps behind. Zimbabwe have lost half their side on 52 runs. They still need 154 runs from 76 balls.

Tap and run! Drops it full, does Bjorn, on off, Sikandar Raza leans on and eases it into covers for a quick single.

Slips in a full toss that dips below the waist, on off, Ryan Burl stands tall and slices it to backward point.

FOUR! Smashed with authority and that brings the 50 up for Zimbabwe! Bowls from around the stump does Subrayen, full on middle. Ryan Burl latches onto it and absolutely carts it wide of the cover fielder to his left, for a boundary.

A smidge short, outside off, Raza hangs back and cuts it to the right of short third for a quick single.

In front of the stumps, full in length, Sikandar Raza pushes it back to the bowler with soft hands.

Slight appeal for LBW, but the umpire is unmoved. Going down leg? Most probably. Quicker and fuller, angled on the leg stump. Sikandar Raza again goes for the paddle sweep but misses and is hit on the front pad.

Subrayen starts with a loosener, firing it down leg, full in length. Raza gets low to paddle it fine, but the ball clips the front pad and rolls to the short fine leg fielder.

FOUR! Cleverly done! Short and outside off, Ryan Burl leans back, uses the pace and ramps it over the short third fielder for a boundary. Zimbabwe end their Powerplay on 46/4, needing 160 more runs from 84 balls.

Shortens the length further, does Kwena. On middle and leg, and this is steered off the back foot by Sikandar to widish mid-wicket for a single.

Ripper from Maphaka! Angles it outside off, on a good length, Sikandar Raza pokes at it by loosely dangling his bat away from his body. The ball leaves him and zips past the outside edge.

Well-directed short delivery, around off, Sikandar Raza gets crouched, arches back and leaves it alone.

WIDE! Takes pace off but bowls it way too short and it flies over the batter's head. Raza lets it through. Wide given for height.

Length ball, outside off, Ryan cuts it behind point for a single.

Maphaka is into the attack now! Back of a length, outside off, Raza hops off and knifes it to deep backward point for a single.

Castled but it will not matter as it was a Free Hit. Bosch gets the yorker in, on middle. Burl clears the front leg and swings for the hills. He is beaten on the inside edge and the ball clatters into the sticks.

DRAMA! Taken at deep fine leg, but it is a NO BALL and Ryan Burl lives to fight on. Langton Rusere, standing at square leg, straight away signalled that it was the second bouncer of the over. Remember, only one ball over the shoulder is allowed in T20Is. The side-on replays show that Bosch may well have transgressed the line as well. A bumper by Bosch, around off. Burl walks inside the line for the hook but holes out to deep fine leg. Good awareness by the two batters as they ran a couple while the ball was in the air. Free Hit coming up.

Hits the back of a length, on middle. Raza hops and drops it with soft hands beside the strip on the leg side before scampering through for a quick single. Bosch is quick to his right and has a shy at the batting end but ends up hitting Burl on the back of his thigh.

Wide! Out comes the slower bumper but this is too high and it sails over the batter's head.

SIX! Hit with absolute authority. Bosch goes into the wicket but he fails to get it high enough to trouble the batter on off and middle. It comes around the waist and Raza pulls it off the front foot over mid-wicket for half a dozen.

Very full, on off. Raza was perhaps expecting a short ball and was late to get his bat down. He eventually manages to do so and jams it out.

Short and wide on off. Burl stands tall on top of the bounce to cut it away to deep point for a single.

Goes past the bat! Bowled on a length, going away with the angle. Burl's feet go nowhere and he flashes at the ball but it leaves him to whistle past the bat.

Banged in short, angled into the left-hander. Burl rolls his wrists over the ball and pulls it behind square leg for a run to open his account.

OUT! CAUGHT! Wessly Madhevere could not have picked out the fielder in the deep any better. Jansen bends his back and digs it in short, on off. Wessly swivels to take the short ball on with the pull but the ball comes on slower than he expected. He swings early for the pull and it comes right off the bottom half of the blade. It goes flat and straight down the throat of deep backward square leg, where Dewald Brevis takes the catch around his chest. Zimbabwe are 25/4, needing 181 runs from 97 balls.

Pace off, on a good length, on off. Wessly is not to the pitch of the ball and pushes out in front of his body. Spoons it tamely and it goes on the bounce to the man at cover.

FOUR! Nearly went the distance. Too straight, around leg, on the shorter side. Madhevere swivels and helps the pull over short fine leg. It bounces just in front of the ropes.

Nasty delivery! Jansen gets the ball to rear up on the batter due to his height, on a short of a good length, on off. Raza gets on his toes to fend it down but the ball pings him on the gloves. Luckily for him, it lands safely in front of point as the batters cross for a single.

At the hips, Wessly tucks it wide of mid-wicket and hurries to the other end.

OUT! CAUGHT! Bjorn Fortuin makes no mistake. Duan Jansen will be a relieved man. Bosch dishes out the off-cutter, on a length, on middle. Kaia clears the front leg and has a swipe across the line. The ball grips a bit in the surface and catches the top edge. It is skied towards mid off, where Fortuin gobbles it up. Zimbabwe are 19/3 in a chase of 206.

This is on a hard length, on middle. Innocent flat bats it on the bounce to mid on.

Wide! Dug in short, too high, on off, that is left alone for the keeper to collect.

Kaia shows his cards early as he backs away and Bosch responds by bowling a full ball near the tramline on off. Innocent can't get to it and he lets it be.

CHANCE GOES DOWN! Massive misjudgment by Duan Jansen, and he did not even manage to lay a hand on the ball. On a length, on middle and leg. Innocent Kaia gives the bowler the charge and swings to go down the ground. He only gets the height, not the distance. Jansen sets off for the catch early as he runs over his left shoulder but never really manages to steady himself under the swirling ball. He reaches out to his left eventually but the ball drops out of his reach. Single taken.

A bit of lift off the deck, on a back of a length, on middle. Wessly Madhevere stands tall and dabs it beside the strip on the leg side. They cross.

Tucking the batter up for room, on a nagging length. Kaia is beaten for pace on the attempted shovel. A leg bye is taken as the ball drops off the pads on the leg side.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Both openers sent packing inside the first two overs. This is an inauspicious start for Zimbabwe. Jansen pushes a full ball across the right-hander, Bennett shuffles across a long way towards the off side as he premeditates the scoop. He fails to get under it and it pops up off a top edge behind the wicket. The keeper, Connor Esterhuizen calls for it and does the rest by moving to his right.

Dug in short, around the right shoulder. Kaia pivots for the pull but the ball climbs onto him. Gets it away behind square leg for a single.

Jansen goes full in search of swing but ends up serving a full toss, on off. Bennett plays a punchy drive wide of cover. Tony de Zorzi slides to his left and cuts it off. Just a single.

Moving back in the air, the length is pushed up, on middle and leg. Kaia hops back to deal with it but gets an inside edge onto the pads. The batters cross as the ball dribbles square on the leg side.

Wide! Well wide on off, on the shorter side. Innocent throws his hands at the ball but fails to connect.

FOUR! One bounce and over the ropes. Short enough this time for the pull and Kaia is able to make room for himself to get his hands through the line of the ball. Dispatches the pull over mid-wicket for a four.

Shaping back into the right-hander, not all that short for the pull. Kaia swivels on the back foot but is rushed and gets hit on the thigh pad.

The length is pulled back and it holds on the surface too, on middle. Bennett is slightly taken aback but manages to drop it down the deck.

FOUR! Gets it through. Width offered by Bosch, on a length. Bennett gets the width to free his arms and he goes hard on the drive. Splits the gap between the man at a catching cover and the cover-point fielder to pick up a boundary.

Uppish but safe. Pitched up by Bosch, a hint of away shape. Kaia presents the full face of the bat and chips it back over the bowler's head. Bjorn Fortuin moves to his right from mid off and tidies up. Single taken.

A ripper by Bosch. Angled in before straightening off the deck, on a good length. Kaia has a feel for the delivery but is beaten past the outside edge.

OUT! EDGED AND GONE! Eathan Bosch strikes early. A golden duck for Ben Curran. Bosch hits the hard length, just outside the off stump. Curran hangs back in the crease and attempts the late cut but the ball is too close to his body for that shot. It kicks up a bit as well as it grazes the outside edge before it is held safely by the keeper, Connor Esterhuizen. Zimbabwe are 1/1, chasing 206.

Bennett and Zimbabwe are underway. Seaming away a bit, on a back of a length, outside off. Brian stays beside the line of the ball and dabs it to the left of backward point for a single to get off the mark.