Zimbabwe top order off to a sound start

FE Team | Published: August 27, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

AB de Villiers acknowledges the cheers after reaching his half-century at Harare Sunday.

Faced with a stiff target of 324, Vusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza made a positive start and Tatenda Taibu kept Zimbabwe close to the required run rate.
The openers couldn't make it past the forties but Taibu's intent suggested he was out in the middle to do serious business. Zimbabwe reached the half-way mark on 148 for 2, marginally ahead of what South Africa had been at the same stage, reports Cricinfo.
Sibanda set the tone with early fours off Makhaya Ntini, two that pierced the offside, one straight back and the fourth pulled over square leg.
He played and missed a couple times against Morne Morkel and Shaun Pollock but reserved plenty of contempt for Ntini.
Sibanda is arguably Zimbabwe's best batsman off the back foot and Ntini was at the receiving end in the first over a second spell.
He pitched short on two occasions and Masakadza swatted him away for top-drawer fours that raised Zimbabwe's 50 in the 11th over. In the next over, Ntini looked on as Masakadza hit three in a row, all off the backfoot, through cover, midwicket and over mid-on.
Two more thumped fours followed off Morne Morkel but the bowler had his revenge.
He pitched short, got it to move away and Masakadza edged to AB de Villiers for 41.
25 overs Zimbabwe 148 for 2 (Taibu 33*, Taylor 21*) need another 176 runs to beat South Africa 323 for 9 (de Villiers 107, Albie Morkel 97)