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Lhuan-dre Pretorius made a career-best 94 from 51 balls with 12 fours and three sixes as South Africa posted 185 for 7 and beat Zimbabwe by 43 runs at Windhoek. Stand-in captain Bjorn Fortuin took 4 for 24 and Duan Jansen 3 for 21 as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 142, having been 66 for 8. The result puts South Africa into Sunday’s final; Namibia and Zimbabwe now play for the other place.
Windhoek, Namibia: Lhuan-dre Pretorius said afterwards that at the 14-over mark South Africa had 200 in mind, and that if he had got the team there he would have got his hundred too. They managed neither, and won by 43 runs anyway.
He is 20. His previous highest score in a T20 international was 51.
Fifty Off Twenty-Seven
South Africa were 50 up inside 5.1 overs and 59 without loss at the end of the powerplay. Pretorius reached his own fifty from 27 balls with seven fours and a six, and Jordan Hermann made 28 in an opening stand of 68.
Then came 86 with Dewald Brevis, who made 41 from 27 and gave the innings its second gear. Pretorius struck at 184 and was still there in the 19th over, six runs away, when he tried to flick Brad Evans to leg, missed, and lost his leg stump.
Zimbabwe took wickets steadily at the death — Wessly Madhevere finished with 3 for 20 — and 185 for 7 was some way short of what had looked available at the halfway mark.
Sixty-Six for Eight
It made no difference. Zimbabwe were 42 for 4 inside seven overs and never had a partnership to work with.
Fortuin, leading the side, took 4 for 24 from 3.4 overs for what is understood to be the best return of his career. Jansen took 3 for 21. Prenelan Subrayen and Nqaba Peter, in for Tony de Zorzi, shared the rest. Zimbabwe slid to 66 for 8 and the only question left was the margin.
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Sikandar Raza made 45 from 33 with five fours and two sixes, and Innocent Kaia 18. Everything else came from the bottom of the order.
Nyamhuri Bats Longest
Newman Nyamhuri, batting at No. 11, finished unbeaten on 27 from 23 balls and helped add 76 runs after Zimbabwe had been reduced to 66 for 8. It was the second-highest score of the innings, and it made the scoreboard look respectable without ever threatening the result.
Zimbabwe were all out in 17.4 overs, 43 short.
What It Settles
South Africa are through to Sunday’s final. Having beaten Zimbabwe twice, they cannot be caught, and Namibia and Zimbabwe now meet on Thursday to decide who joins them — both on two points, with Zimbabwe carrying a net run rate of -1.691 into it.
Zimbabwe had made two changes under a rotation policy, Kaia and Kundai Matigimu coming in for Blessing Muzarabani and Dion Myers, with Matigimu making his T20I debut. It was their second defeat to South Africa in four days, having beaten Namibia by five runs in between.
Pretorius took the Player of the Match award and said milestones can wait. The ground on which he missed his first will host matches at next year’s ODI World Cup.
Result: South Africa beat Zimbabwe by 43 runs
South Africa 185/7 (20 overs) — Lhuan-dre Pretorius 94 (51), Dewald Brevis 41 (27), Jordan Hermann 28; Wessly Madhevere 3-20
Zimbabwe 142 all out (17.4 overs) — Sikandar Raza 45 (33), Newman Nyamhuri 27* (23), Innocent Kaia 18; Bjorn Fortuin 4-24, Duan Jansen 3-21
Player of the Match: Lhuan-dre Pretorius (South Africa) — 94 off 51
Venue: Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
