The second match of the ongoing ZIM T20 Tri-Series saw New Zealand defeat South Africa by 21 runs in Harare. Tim Robinson was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 75 off 57 balls.
South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl first. Their bowlers made early inroads by removing Tim Seifert (22 off 16), Devon Conway (9 off 7), Daryl Mitchell (5 off 5), Mitchell Hay (2 off 3), and James Neesham (0 off 2) within the first 10 overs.
However, Robinson stood firm and played a composed knock, while Bevon Jacobs gave solid support with an unbeaten 44. The duo added an unbroken 103-run stand to help New Zealand post a competitive total of 173/5.
In reply, South Africa’s chase started positively. Openers Lhuan-dre Pretorius (27 off 17) and Reeza Hendricks (16 off 12) laid the foundation, while Dewald Brevis (35 off 18) and George Linde (30 off 20) kept the momentum going.
However, regular wickets hurt their chances, and the Proteas were bowled out for 152 in 18.2 overs. Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy were the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand, claiming three wickets each.
“Feel great to contribute to a win.” – Robinson
Player of the Match Tim Robinson shared his thoughts on his innings and the key partnership with Bevon Jacobs. “Feel great to contribute to a win. We had a rough start but to keep going with Bevon was fun. Credit to the Proteas bowlers when new batters came in. Bevon and I wanted to take it as deep as we could. It was a good wicket and the ball does fly,” Robinson said.
He also acknowledged that the surface initially favoured South Africa’s bowling attack. “I thought it was a good surface but South Africans used the big side really well. They had their length well, so it was difficult to start. After that you start to trust the wicket,” he added.
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