Hlubi, Nini seal 5-0 win for South Africa
SA Women won by 14 runs
Player Of The Match
, SA-W
3/19
Player Of The Series
, SA-W
214 runs • 2 wkts
Ayanda Hlubi picked up three wickets • CWI
South Africa 164 for 6 (Reyneke 34*, Bosch 33, Mavunga 3-46) beat Zimbabwe 150 for 8 (Ndhlovu 38, Mugeri-Tiripano 33, Nini 3-19, Hlubi 3-24) by 14 runs
Medium pacer Ayanda Hlubi helped South Africa overcome a Zimbabwe scare in the fifth and final T20I as the visitors sealed the series 5-0 in Bulawayo.
In the chase of 165, Zimbabwe's third-wicket pair of Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano and Kelis Ndhlovu put up an 81-run stand and looked good for the win at 102 for 2. But Caitlin Wyngaard struck to remove Mugeri-Tiripano in the 14th over. Hlubi's double-wicket 15th over effectively ended Zimbabwe's hopes, as she had top-scorer Ndhlovu caught behind for 38 and then removed Beloved Biza for a duck. Zimbabwe struggled to recover from there and went on to lose by 13 runs.
Miane Smit and Faye Tunnicliffe started steadily after South Africa opted to bat, finding the boundary regularly before Michelle Mavunga struck in the fourth over. South Africa lost Karabo Meso and captain Laura Wolvaardt for single-digit scores but Kayla Reyneke and Anneke Bosch led the recovery with a 75-run stand. Mavunga took two wickets in the final over to finish with 3 for 46. Reyneke top-scored for South Africa with an unbeaten 34 off 31 balls.
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Zimbabwe opener Nyasha Gwanzura started positively in the chase, scoring two fours and a six before Hlubi had her lbw in the third over. Nthabiseng Nini then had the other opener Lorraine Pemhiwa caught and bowled in the next over for 2, following which Ndhlovu and Mugeri-Tiripano came together. By the end of the 10th over, Zimbabwe were scoring above the required run rate.
But a couple of tight overs from Seshnie Naidu and Wyngaard brought South Africa back into the game before Zimbabwe unravelled. Mayers provided some spark after the quick dismissals but Nini's double-strike in the 18th over all but sealed it for South Africa. From 102 for 2, the hosts lost six wickets for 47 runs, with Hlubi and Nini finishing with three wickets each.
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