South Africa dismantle Zimbabwe to win second ODI match

The hosts triumphed in the first match in Kimberley, but not before making heavy work of a small target posted by their neighbours, as they lost five wickets on their way to a match-winning total of 119 in tricky batting conditions. South Africa have a chance to clinch the three-match series against Zimbabwe when the two sides meet at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.

With it historically being one of the flatter surfaces in the country, Mangaung Oval is likely to be more welcoming to batsmen than its Kimberley counterpart. Zimbabwe will not have the best memories of Bloem, as it was there where South Africa posted what was then the record first innings total at the ground back in 2010, with Hashim Amla and Colin Ingram posting centuries to help South Africa to 351/6.

This was before the last ODI played at the venue, which saw a visiting England side post a record 399/9 in their 50 overs in a rain-affected match in 2016, and not even an impressive knock of 138 from 96 balls from Quinton de Kock was enough to get the Proteas close to the revised target of 290 in 33.3, via the Duckworth-Lewis method.

The wicketkeeper-batsman will not get the chance to replicate those heroics this time around, as he has been left out of what’s largely an experimental squad ahead of next year’s World Cup, with stand-in skipper JP Duminy, and veteran spinner Imran Tahir the only men from the clash from two years ago available in the current 15-man party.