South Africa overcame Zimbabwe with a 13-run win in the final T20I in Bulawayo to complete a 5-0 clean sweep of the T20I series. Useful 30s from Miane Smit, Kayla Reyneke and Anneke Bosch helped South Africa finish with 164 for 6 after they opted to bat. Nthabiseng Nini and Ayanda Hlubi then bagged three wickets apiece as Zimbabwe were restricted to 151 for 8.
South Africa made a flying start, racing to 56/1 in the Powerplay. Faye Tunnicliffe led the charge with a brisk 25 off 13 balls, which included six fours. Smit took over after Tunnicliffe’s dismissal but the innings lost momentum with Karabo Meso and Smit falling in quick succession. Laura Wolvaardt’s dismissal in the 11th overs left South Africa at 77/4.
Bosch and Reyneke steadied the innings with a 75-run stand, taking South Africa past 150. Annerie Dercksen got a couple of boundaries in the final over while Reyneke remained unbeaten on 34 off 31 as South Africa got past 160, with 56 runs coming in the last five overs. Michelle Mavunga was the pick of Zimbabwe’s bowlers with 3 for 46, while Nyasha Gwanzura, Beloved Biza and Kudzie Chigora took a wicket each.
Zimbabwe got only 39 in the Powerplay while losing a couple of wickets. But Kelis Ndlhovu and Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano’s 81-run stand off 61 balls got the hosts back on track. They took Zimbabwe to 84/2 after 10 overs, before the 100-run mark was reached in the 13th when Ndlhovu struck a six off Seshnie Naidu.
However a collapse ensued soon after. Caitlin Wyngaard accounted for Mugeri-Tiripano while Ayanda Hlubi sent Ndlhovu and Beloved Biza off successive deliveries. Zimbabwe, who were well-placed at 103/2, slipped to to 115/5. Sharne Mayers and Sharne Mayers tried to revive the innings but South Africa kept pegging away and the lower order batters were left with a lot to do.
Brief scores: South Africa 164/6 in 20 overs (Kayla Reyneke 34* off 31, Anneke Bosch 33 off 27; Michelle Mavunga 3-46) beat Zimbabwe 151/8 in 20 overs (Kelis Ndhlovu 38 off 30; Nthabiseng Nini 3-19, Ayanda Hlubi 3-24) by 13 runs.