It’s just not getting any easier for Zimbabwe. After suffering two heavy defeats to South Africa in the Tests, they opened their T20I triangular series, which also includes New Zealand, with a loss. It was Zimbabwe’s sixth succesive T20I defeat to South Africa, against whom they are yet to register a win after two other games between the sides produced no results.

South Africa, playing in their first T20I this year – and first under Shukri Conrad since he was named all-format coach – will be pleased with their early outing. Chasing 142, they wobbled at 38 for 3, but debutant Rubin Hermann top-scored with 45, and shared in a 72-run fourth-wicket stand with Dewald Brevis, who contributed 41 off just 17 balls. Corbin Bosch finished things off with an unbeaten 23 off 15 deliveries.

The Hermann-Brevis partnership will make headlines, but South Africa will be equally satisfied with their bowlers – in particular with the return of Lungi Ngidi. After missing their last seven T20I matches, Ngidi came back with impressive accuracy, and finished with 1 for 15 from four overs. Overall, George Linde (3 for 10) was the standout with the lowest economy (3.33) and most wickets.

South Africa’s victorious chase, completed inside 16 overs, overshadowed Sikkander Raza’s 15th T20I fifty, and his first against South Africa. Raza also went past Craig Ervine as Zimbabwe’s most capped T20I captain, with 39 matches. His knock lifted Zimbabwe from 39 for 2 to a total over 140, though they needed far more to be competitive.

It may hardly sound like much, but Zimbabwe’s 34 runs in the first six overs was their joint-highest in a T20I against South Africa, and better, in wicket terms, than the 34 for 2 they had got in 2018. With only Wessly Madhevere dismissed – and he has only got past 20 once in his last 11 innings – Zimbabwe would have felt they hadd built a solid base, especially with the way Brian Bennett was playing.

His first boundary came when he flayed Ngidi through a vacant slip area, his second when he upper cut Burger to deep third, and his third and fourth off glorious drives over and through the covers off Bosch. What Bennett lacked was a partner as industrious as Zimbabwe’s scoring rate of under six an over needed a massive boost.

At 53 for 2 at the halfway stage, Zimbabwe were going nowhere, but Raza and Ryan Burl gave their innings some urgency. The pair ran well between the wickets, with Burl providing the early aggression. He took advantage of the only bad ball Ngidi bowled, down leg, to help its way for four, and then made Nqakaba Peter pay for poor length. The short ball was swung over fine leg, and the full one hit over long-on for the innings’ first six.

Raza began the final onslaught when he picked up a slower ball from Andile Simelane, and hit it back over his head for six. He was dropped on 33 by Brevis at deep cover, and then slammed Simelane for six more in an over that cost 19. The partnership between Raza and Burl was worth 66 from 38 balls when Burl holed out to long-off to give Nandre Burger, on comeback after ten months, his first wicket. Zimbabwe scored 88 runs in the last ten overs to stage a decent fightback.

It is always going to be difficult for Linde to get past Keshav Maharaj in the South Africa side. But if they ever consider twin left-arm spin, Linde has done his bit to be the other half. Against Zimbabwe on Monday, Linde was brought on immediately after the powerplay, and bowled a tight first over. He then had Bennet out in his second over, and was tasked with the last over. where he took two wickets in two balls.

Tashinga Musekiwa tried to force Linde over mid-off but was caught, before Tony Muyonga was caught off a low full toss. Linde almost had a hat-trick, before finishing with figures three wickets. However, there will be questions over why he did not bowl his full quota of overs.

Richard Ngarava hurt his back during Zimbabwe’s Test in England, and missed the Tests against South Africa. But he showed why he is so crucial to Zimbabwe’s side with an explosive opening spell. Ngarava’s first legitimate ball stuck in the turf, and Lhuan-dre Pretorius toe-ended it back to him for a simple return catch.

In his next over, a similar delivery took Reeza Hendricks’ inside edge as he drove loosely, and went on to rock middle stump. South Africa were 17 for 2 in the third over, and Ngarava had given Zimbabwe a solid chance. With Hendricks’ wicket, Ngarava went past Raza as Zimbabwe’s leading wicket taker in T20Is, with 82 to his name. Ngarava returned to bowl the 15th over, and added to the tally by getting rid of Hermann with a delivery that kept low and skidded on to take out off stump.

Hermann announced himself by scoring his first international runs with a six when he stepped inside the line to send Ngarava over fine leg. He very nearly didn’t add to his score when he popped Blessing Muzarabani to cover point, but the ball fell safe. Then Hermann took control of the chase when he thumped back-to-back-to-back fours off Wellington Masakadza to bring the required run rate down to under seven an over.

Hermann played the sweep, and showed his power-hitting and ability to use his feet in the three fours he struck. Not to be outdone, Brevis, who only had five runs in his previous two

T20Is, then went one better. Two overs after Hermann’s blitz, Brevis sent Burl down the ground three times for a hat-trick of sixes. Burl was guilty of going too short, and Brevis was happy to make room and swing away. He took 24 runs off Burl’s opening over, which cost 25, and effectively ended the contest.

South Africa were 103 for 3 after 11 overs, and needed 39 runs from the next nine overs to win. Eventually, they got those runs in less than five overs.

Brief scores:
South Africa 142 for 5 in 15.5 overs  (Reeza Hendricks 11, Rassie van der Dussen 16, Robin Hermann 45, Dewald  Brevis 41, Corbin Bosch 23*; Richard Ngarava 3-35, Trevor Gwandu 2-15) beat Zimbabwe 141 for 6 in 20 overs (Sikkandar Raza 54*, Brian Bennett 30, Ryan Burl 29; Lungi Ngidi 1-15, Nandre Burger 1-22, George  Linde 3-10, Nqabayomzi Peter 1-22)  by five wickets

[Cricinfo]