Cape Town - Chris Morris produced another outstanding performance to help South Africa 'A' to a convincing victory by 41 runs over Zimbabwe 'A' at the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday.
It was the South Africans’ fourth win in a row and they will now play either Zimbabwe or Sri Lanka 'A' in Saturday’s final of the triangular competition. These two teams face off in the final league match on Thursday.
In a low scoring match South Africa won the toss and had to settle for a relatively modest total of 215 in 47 overs, not being able to bat out the full 50. At one stage it looked as though they would do a lot better when they reached 125/2 in 22 overs but the dismissal of captain Faf du Plessis (41 off 35 balls, 3 fours and 2 sixes) followed soon afterwards by Colin Ingram (51 off 66 balls, 5 fours) saw the last eight wickets fall for 90 runs in 25 overs.
Zimbabwe also made a rapid start until the South African spinners got among their batsmen. Aaron Phangiso dismissed Sikandar Raza and Richmond Mutumbami in the space of 5 balls to make a major breakthrough. A run out did not help Zimbabwe’s cause and the other spinners, Justin Ontong and Du Plessis, chipped in with a wicket apiece to reduce the home side to 98/6 with five wickets having fallen for 24 runs in seven overs.
Morris then ripped through the tail - he had also taken one with the new ball - to finish with the outstanding return of 4/33 in 7.3 overs. His only better performance in List A cricket is the 4/30 he took for North West against KwaZulu-Natal at the lower level of provincial cricket.
Phangiso took 3/42 in his full quota of 10 overs.
It was the South Africans’ fourth win in a row and they will now play either Zimbabwe or Sri Lanka 'A' in Saturday’s final of the triangular competition. These two teams face off in the final league match on Thursday.
In a low scoring match South Africa won the toss and had to settle for a relatively modest total of 215 in 47 overs, not being able to bat out the full 50. At one stage it looked as though they would do a lot better when they reached 125/2 in 22 overs but the dismissal of captain Faf du Plessis (41 off 35 balls, 3 fours and 2 sixes) followed soon afterwards by Colin Ingram (51 off 66 balls, 5 fours) saw the last eight wickets fall for 90 runs in 25 overs.
Zimbabwe also made a rapid start until the South African spinners got among their batsmen. Aaron Phangiso dismissed Sikandar Raza and Richmond Mutumbami in the space of 5 balls to make a major breakthrough. A run out did not help Zimbabwe’s cause and the other spinners, Justin Ontong and Du Plessis, chipped in with a wicket apiece to reduce the home side to 98/6 with five wickets having fallen for 24 runs in seven overs.
Morris then ripped through the tail - he had also taken one with the new ball - to finish with the outstanding return of 4/33 in 7.3 overs. His only better performance in List A cricket is the 4/30 he took for North West against KwaZulu-Natal at the lower level of provincial cricket.
Phangiso took 3/42 in his full quota of 10 overs.