Sikander Raza’s Heroics Not Quite Enough for Zimbabwe ….

South Africa took an unbeaten record into the T20 World Cup semi-finals after overcoming an inspired performance from Sikandar Raza (73 off 43 and 3 for 29). Aiden Markram‘s men successfully chased down a target of 154 in Delhi and will now travel to Kolkata to face New Zealand in the first of what they will hope are two knockout matches.

Raza all the way

He scored 73 of the 98 runs that Zimbabwe got while he was in the middle. That included 12 of the team’s 13 boundaries. His strike rate was nearly 170. The other end’s was 86.

Between overs 4.3 and 16.3, Raza was all that mattered. He showed game smarts when he saw South Africa turn to their change bowler to get out of the powerplay and smashed Corbin Bosch for 15 runs. He showed a simplicity of method. Clearing the front leg was the only premeditation he afforded himself. From there, if the ball was pitched up, he would present the full face and crack it through the off side. If it was short, he would go horizontal bat and whack it over the leg side.

Maphaka’s impact

Kwena Maphaka, 19, was playing only his second game of the T20 World Cup. He was able to hit speeds in the low 140kph. He got movement with both the new ball and the old one. He signed off his spell – 4-0-21-2 – with a wicked offcutter that the batter just wasn’t ready for. And he took down the man who was taking down everyone else. Maphaka went around the wicket to Raza in the 17th over and got one to straighten on the batter, who, playing for the initial angle and closing the bat face, ended up popping a skier to David Miller at point.

With Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and Marco Jansen rested ahead of the semi-finals, South Africa’s bench players had an opportunity to step up and they did pretty well. Left-arm spinner George Linde opened the bowling and came away with figures of 3-0-22-1. Anrich Nortje chipped in with 4-0-29-1.

Raza all over again

Opening the bowling in the chase, he recorded the 41st instance of an offspinner dismissing a left-hand batter in this T20 World Cup. Quinton de Kock was out for a duck.

Raza turned his sights on his opposite number then. He stashed the ball on top of a bent middle finger. The carrom ball grip. Markram didn’t clock it. He only responded to the length of the ball which was a touch short. Markram went back and wound up to hit it over the leg side. Next second, his middle stump was on the ground. Undefeated South Africa were 14 for 2 in the third over.

Rickelton in strife

At the other end, Brad Evans produced a back-of-the-hand bouncer that hit Ryan Rickelton on the helmet and left him in the South Africa team doctor’s care for several long minutes. Eventually he was cleared of his concussion and he seemed set on showing he wasn’t too fazed by the blow, hitting three sixes off his next five balls. But when he tried to take on Evans’ short ball again, he toe-ended it and Ryan Burl on the deep-square-leg boundary took a great catch (after initially running in too far). Back playing a day game, Zimbabwe’s fielding mistakes vanished. They don’t play a lot of floodlit cricket back home and dropped several catches when they gave up 254 against West Indies and 256 against India.

Miller and Brevis check in

Zimbabwe keep fighting

Castle Corner was in the crowd in Delhi. Dancing all the way. Zimbabwe drew on those positive vibes to break the stand that was taking the game away from them, Blessing Muzarabani knocking over Miller to pick up his 12th wicket and go to No. 2 on the list of top wicket-takers in this tournament and Raza dismissing Brevis four balls later. South Africa were 101 for 5 in the 11th over chasing 154. They were still favourites but they had been pushed.