Kallis is pick of the bowlers as South Africa steamroller Zimbabwe

By RIZWAN ALI
Published on 21/09/2012 02:44

Jacques Kallis produced the best bowling performance by a South African in the 20-over format with four for 15 as the Proteas hammered Zimbabwe by ten wickets in the World Twenty20.

The defeat eliminated Zimbabwe from the tournament. They had already lost their first Group C match to Sri Lanka by 82 runs.

Kallis led the seam attack as Zimbabwe were restricted to 93-8 and South Africa openers Richard Levi (50) and Hashim Amla (32) eased to 94-0 in only 12.4 overs in Hambantota.

South Africa will meet Sri Lanka in the last Group C match tomorrow with both teams already qualified for the Super Eights.

Levis and Amla were untroubled by the Zimbabwean bowlers. Levi hit six fours off 43 balls while Amla rotated the strike well, facing 33 balls and hitting three boundaries.

Amla got lucky, though, when South Africa needed only six runs for the victory. Visu Sibanda dropped a sitter at point off medium fast bowler Kyle Jarvis, summing up a woeful day for the Zimbabweans.

Earlier, Kallis got rid of Stuart Matsikenyeri (11) and Elton Chigumbura (0) with successive deliveries and returned to have Graeme Cremer and top-scorer Craig Ervine (37) caught behind. Ervine hit four of the six boundaries in Zimbabwe innings as all the South African seamers got appreciable bounce and pace.

Morkel brothers Morne and Albie caused the early damage after South Africa won the toss and opted to field first. The pair reduced Zimbabwe to 16-3 before Kallis bowled a double-wicket maiden over. Only Ervine put up any resistance and shared a 35-run, fourth-wicket stand with Matsikenyeri before Kallis broke through with his twin strikes.

Morne clean bowled Visu Sibanda off his fourth delivery and had captain Brendan Taylor caught behind in the next over – one of the four catches for South African skipper and wicketkeeper AB de Villiers.

Zimbabwe were 51-3 midway through the innings before Kallis inflicted further suffering – taking two more wickets without the African side adding to their total.

Dale Steyn was also rewarded for his pace bowling (1-9) when he had Prosper Utseya caught behind in his last over.

It was Zimbabwe’s second lowest ever Twenty20 score just surpassing their total of 84 against New Zealand at Guyana at the 2010 World Twenty20.