A maiden century by Mark Boucher helped South Africa show their dominance over Zimbabwe with a stunning 171-run victory in the third and final MTN one-day international (ODI) at Sedgars Park, Potchefstroom, on Wednesday.
Jacques Kallis won the toss and chose to bat — and South Africa put on an enormous 418-5 in their 50 overs. The run rate was more than seven an over for most of the innings, and four players made more than 50. Only four teams have scored more than 400 runs in an ODI innings, with South Africa doing it twice.
Loots Bosman and Alviro Petersen got the team off to a great start with a first-wicket partnership of 160, before Bosman was stumped by Brendan Taylor off Tafadzwa Kamungozi for 88, his first ODI half century. He faced 70 balls, and hit 11 fours and three sixes — two of which had the journalists in the press box diving for cover as he hit them over the bowler’s head straight towards the pavilion.
Petersen was next to go, brilliantly caught and bowled by Prosper Utseya for 80 off 74 balls, with 10 fours and a six.
Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher put on 50 runs in 38 balls, and they shared a third-wicket partnership of 91 before Kallis was caught by Elton Chigumbura shortly after reaching his 57th ODI half century.
But it was Boucher who stole the show. Obviously relishing his promotion up the order, he smashed an unbeaten 147 off 68 balls, of which only five were dot balls. He hit eight fours and 10 sixes, and nearly doubled his previous highest score of 75.
Faced with the daunting task of scoring 419 at more than eight runs an over to win, Zimbabwe were never in the chase, and after the fireworks of the afternoon, the match petered out as a contest. The required run rate rose inexorably and Zimbabwe appeared to be content to bat out the 50 overs.
Johan van der Wath got the first breakthrough in the third over when he bowled Vusi Sibanda for one. Chamunorwa Chibhabha and Terrence Duffin made 94 for the second wicket, before Chibhabha was caught behind by Boucher for 46.
Duffin became only the 19th Zimbabwean to score a half century against South Africa when he reached his third half century off 98 deliveries. He was finally out, lbw to Andre Nel, for 88 off 134 deliveries. He and Hamilton Masakadza put on 103 runs for the third wicket, before Masakadza was caught behind off Telemachus for 54. His half century came at a run a ball and included six boundaries.
Brendan Taylor made 19 and Stuart Matsikenyeri was not out on 16.
In a match in which players like Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock were rested and Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers and Herschelle Gibbs were out because of injury, the Proteas appeared to have shrugged off some of the rustiness they displayed in the first match in Bloemfontein last Friday, and the squad system appeared to be working reasonably well, although the failure of the bowlers to penetrate the inexperienced Zimbabwe batting line-up must be cause for concern. — Sapa