On 31 January 2024 in the U19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, South Africa beat Zimbabwe by nine wickets in Potchefstroom.
Zimbabwe 102 (29.2 overs) v South Africa 103/1 (13.3 overs).
In the Super Six clash of the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 between South Africa and their sub-Saharan Africa neighbours, it was a Kwena Maphaka masterclass with the recent ball that set the stage for South Africa’s dominance. Opting to bowl first, South Africa got an early wicket when Nathaniel Hlabangana was race out by a pinpoint direct hit from Romashan Pillay.
Maphaka went on a rampage from there, dismissing Brendon Sunguro, Campbell Macmillan, and Panashe Taruvinga within the span of just three overs, leaving Zimbabwe reeling at 16 for four. Two of these three dismissals saw the batters beaten for Maphaka’s extra pace and movement off the surface as the stumps were disturbed.
Ronak Patel, who had showcased his resilience in challenging situations in the tournament, once again rose to the occasion, this time partnering with wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Kamwemba. Together, they constructed a valuable half-century partnership that lifted Zimbabwe from a precarious position.
However, the momentum swung back in South Africa’s favour when Tristan Luus delivered a crucial double-wicket over. Luus had Patel and captain Matthew Schonken bowled in the 16th over, dealing a significant blow to Zimbabwe’s batting lineup. Shortly thereafter, Riley Norton joined the party by dismissing Kamwemba, who had been well-set, without any additional runs on the scoreboard.
Maphaka, building on his burgeoning reputation, returned to the attack and dismantled the defence of two more lower-order batters, completing his second five-wicket haul in the tournament. With his skiddy pace and movement off the pitch, Maphaka was undoubtedly the standout bowler of the day. Remarkably, four of his five dismissals at the JB Marks Oval were bowled.
With Zimbabwe struggling at 82 for nine, their last-wicket pair managed to add a few crucial runs, pushing their total just past the three-figure effect. It was Tristan Luus who finally ended Zimbabwe’s innings, dismissing the last batter. Zimbabwe concluded their innings at a mere 102 runs, narrowly avoiding what would acquire been their third total below 100 in four matches of the tournament.
A superstar so far in the tournament, Maphaka led his team off the field after a brilliant performance that saw him fade level with the top wicket-takers (12 wickets apiece) in the tournament, Saumy Pandey and Ubaid Shah.
South African opening batters, Steve Stolk and Lhuan-dre Pretorius, continued their ruthless assault in the Powerplay, replicating their dominant performance against Scotland in the previous game. Against Zimbabwe, they unleashed a barrage of strokes, piling up an impressive 86 runs within the first 10 overs.
Stolk, riding high from his remarkable 13-ball fifty in the last match, once again took off at a blistering pace, amassing 23 runs from his first 11 deliveries.
In contrast, Pretorius initially played a more composed role. However, he quickly shifted gears and showcased his aggressive style by smashing a six and two boundaries off a single over from Ryan Simbi.
Anesu Kamuriwo was brought back into the attack following the first Powerplay, and he managed to dismiss Stolk, who had contributed a dynamic 29-ball 37 to the team’s total.
Meanwhile, Pretorius continued his onslaught, completing a well-deserved half-century. He remained unbeaten on 53 runs as South Africa cruised to yet another resounding victory, with more than 36 overs to spare.
South Africa catch on Sri Lanka next on February 2 in Potchefstroom. They are currently below Australia with four points in Group 2 of the Super Six table. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, will be up against England on February 3.
Kwean Maphaka, the Player of the Match, stressed that while this game was close to a complete performance for the Proteas, they were saving their best for the latter stages of the tournament.
“We are very pleased with the performances. But I don’t consider we maintain had a complete game yet. This was close, but we’re saving it. Obviously, the net run-rate is at the back of our minds, but we mainly focus on playing the game, and that’s what we did today. With the ball, I just support doing what has been working for me — acquire the inswingers accurate and luckily it worked for me today.”
https://youtu.be/RY3NSTt5Zfc
From: Cricket SA
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