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Masterly McKenzie leads SA to one-day win
Wisden CricInfo staff - September 30, 2001

41 overs South Africa 188 for 4 (M Boucher 15*, N McKenzie 69*) A classy contribution from Neil McKenzie saw South Africa home with nine overs to spare. Despite a valiant effort from Zimbabwe's bowlers they were unable to defend their meagre total, after a breathtaking onslaught at the top of the innings from Herschelle Gibbs.

But it was man of the match McKenzie who steadied South African nerves with an unbeaten 69 off 86 balls to avert any potential upset. Together with Mark Boucher he picked off the remaining runs, after his 64-run partnership with Justin Ontong was broken by Grant Flower. Having patiently accumulated throughout his innings, McKenzie suddenly cut loose in what proved to be the final over, smashing Paul Strang for four 4s to bring up the win.

The six-wicket victory gives South Africa a 3-0 whitewash in the one-day series.

30 overs South Africa 114 for 3 (J Ontong 28*, N McKenzie 14*)

Zimbabwe have battled their way back into the game with some disciplined bowling from Paul Strang and, in particular, the stand-in captain Guy Whittall. The South African runs have almost completely dried up and the batsmen are in danger of losing their way entirely. After the pyrotechnics of the opening overs, when Gibbs flayed the ball to all parts, South Africa have been made to work for every run.

Indeed, the batsmen almost look as if they have forgotten how to score. Neil McKenzie was presented with a rare full toss from Strang, but he could only hit it straight to mid-on. Ontong has been the more aggressive of the two, managing to drive Whittall back over his head for a huge six, but such shots have been few and far between.

20 overs South Africa 76 for 3 (J Ontong 5*, N McKenzie 1*)

Three quick wickets, two of them due to dubious decisions, have given South Africa a scare, just when they were looking invincible. Gibbs was the first to go, lbw to Nkala for a masterly 39 off only 31 balls, although there was a strong suspicion that the ball hit him outside the line.

But there were no complaints from Zimbabwe, who were delighted to see the back of him. Fortune smiled on them again, in Nkala's very next over, when the new batsman Justin Kemp was rapped on the pad by a delivery that seemed very much leg-side bound. The umpire thought otherwise, and Kemp was on his way back for a single.

Three balls later Gary Brent got in on the act, trapping Dippenaar plumb in front, and no doubt causing some unwanted flutters in the South African dressing room. Brent also managed to stem the flow of runs, allowing Guy Whittall to bring Travis Friend back on, after his earlier mauling at the hands of Gibbs. He responded well to his captain's show of faith, bowling a much-needed maiden. The accurate bowling from Zimbabwe has dragged them right back into the match, and put the pressure on South Africa.

10 overs South Africa 64 for 0 (H Gibbs 39*, B Dippenaar 21*)

Herschelle Gibbs and Boeta Dippenaar have set off at a canter in pursuit of their victory target of 185. Gibbs was particularly harsh on the hapless Travis Friend, who conceded 24 runs from his two overs, before Guy Whittall pulled him out of the attack.

Friend was unable to maintain any form of line and length. He repeatedly dropped the ball short – an open invitation to a batsman of the quality of Gibbs who promptly dispatched him to the boundary. When Friend tried to correct his length, he ended up overpitching a delivery, only to see Gibbs drive it straight back past him for yet another 4.

Mluleki Nkala was hastily brought on, but he fared little better. Gibbs hit him for three 4s in his opening over – two exquisite drives followed by a delicate leg-glance, as if to remind everyone that he can play with finesse as well as force. At the other end Dippenaar was also swinging away merrily – South Africa clearly have a pressing appointment to keep after the game.

50 overs Zimbabwe 184 for 6 (G Whittall 5*)

Not a total that will strike fear into the hearts of South Africa's batsmen. A combination of a slowish pitch and athletic fielding restricted Zimbabwe to the modest score of 184 off their 50 overs. The batsmen were able to pick up ones and twos but never found the boundary rope often enough to cause Shaun Pollock any headaches.

Pollock shuffled his bowlers well, refusing to allow Zimbabwe to settle. The captain himself was exemplary, his ten overs costing only 29 runs. Grant Flower and Dion Ebrahim bustled well between the wickets, until Ebrahim came back for a non-existent second run and was run out by a direct hit from a swooping Boeta Dippenaar. Next man in, Guy Whittall, was not put off as he and Whittall scrambled for every single in the closing overs.

Grant Flower was out to the last ball of the innings, caught by Dippenaar at deep square leg as he attempted to hit Lance Klusener out of the ground. It was a typically efficient performance from South Africa in the field (apart from the wayward Kallis) and it will take something extraordinary to prevent them clinching the victory that would give them a clean sweep in the series

40 overs Zimbabwe 132 for 4 (G Flower 2*, D Ebrahim 23*)

Justin Ontong struck for South Africa, removing Stuart Carlisle for a well-played 51. Carlisle had been the backbone of the Zimbabwean innings and will have been annoyed to get out with the closing overs in sight. He perished when he miscued a drive off Ontong, to be caught by Klusener on the boundary.

Dion Ebrahim, who looked all at sea when he first came to the crease, unleashed some sparkling shots, including a textbook off-drive off the returning Shaun Pollock. Zimbabwe's total would by now have been more, were it not for the high-class fielding we have come to expect from South Africa, which turned potential boundaries into twos.

30 overs Zimbabwe 92 for 3 (D Ebrahim 0* S Carlisle 40*)

Two wickets for Claude Henderson have put South Africa back in charge of the game after a burgeoning partnership between Campbell and Carlisle had them momentarily on the back foot.

First to go was Campbell, clean bowled as he attempted to hit Henderson out of the ground. It was a blow for Zimbabwe as Campbell, after his slow start, had picked up the pace well with a mixture of powerful hitting and well-judged singles. Henderson then struck again to remove Andy Flower for just 4, courtesy of a brilliant leaping catch by Herschelle Gibbs at short mid-wicket.

Shaun Pollock had brought Henderson on straight after the drinks break, replacing the out-of-sorts Kallis, whose four overs had cost 18 runs. It proved to be the right move. The danger man now for South Africa is Carlisle, who has played freely throughout and greeted the introduction of Justin Ontong into the attack with a perfectly-struck four back over the bowler's head.

19 overs - Drinks Zimbabwe 49 for 1 (A Campbell 24*, S Carlisle 17*)

And lo, Alistair Campbell finally put bat to ball and saw that it was good. After a tortuous start to the innings, Zimbabwe advanced from a crawl to a slightly energetic stroll as a double bowling change loosened the batsmen's shackles.

The tight line and length of Pollock and Kemp was replaced by the slightly less accurate offerings of Jacques Kallis and Lance Klusener. Campbell whipped Klusener's first ball off his legs for a mighty one-bounce four, and followed that up by clubbing Kallis through the off-side in the very next over. Stuart Carlisle followed his partner's lead and got in on the act as Kallis' following over went for a princely nine runs.

The bowlers regained some form of control, helped by excellent fielding by Pollock and the ever-present Jonty Rhodes in particular. Kallis thought he had his revenge when he deceived Carlisle with a well-disguised slower ball, but a thin inside edge saved the batsman.

10 overs Zimbabwe 21 for 1 (A Campbell 5*, S Carlisle 9*)

Zimbabwe got off to a good start this morning in Harare by winning the toss, but it has been all downhill since then. Teenage sensation Hamilton Masakadza was promoted up the order to open with Alistair Campbell, but was out lbw in only the fourth over, trapped in front by one that nipped back from Justin Kemp. Zimbabwe's progress has been painfully slow ever since, rarely rising above two runs an over. Accurate bowling from Shaun Pollock and Kemp has kept the batsmen quiet, especially Campbell whose five runs have taken 25 balls to accumulate.

South Africa, 2-0 up in the three-match series, made three changes to the side that crushed Zimbabwe yesterday. Justin Kemp, Justin Ontong and Boeta Dippenaar come in, replacing Gary Kirsten, Makhaya Ntini and Andre Nel.

Teams
Zimbabwe 1 Alistair Campbell, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Paul Strang, 4 Andy Flower (wk), 5 Stuart Carlisle, 6 Grant Flower, 7 Dion Ebrahim, 8 Guy Whittall (capt), 9 Mluleki Nkala, 10 Travis Friend, 11 Gary Brent

South Africa
1 Boeta Dippenaar, 2 Herschelle Gibbs, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 Neil McKenzie, 5 Jonty Rhodes, 6 Lance Klusener, 7 Shaun Pollock (capt), 8 Mark Boucher (wk), 9 Claude Henderson, 10 Justin Kemp, 11 Justin Ontong

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