Zimbabwe’s limited-overs tour of South Africa came to a soggy end as a persistent highveld storm settled over Benoni and ruled out any chance of play in the third and final T20I.
Two pitch inspections were postponed as repeated showers crossed the ground, and Umpires Adrian Holdstock and Bongani Jele eventually called the game off shortly before 4pm with no foreseeable break in the inclement weather.
The washout gives South Africa a 2-0 series win to go with their 3-0 win in the one-day internationals. Those five games gave the hosts the opportunity to field test a variety of players in various positions ahead of their trip to Australia at the end of the month.
Three ODIs and a T20I there will form the next important step in their preparations for next year’s World Cup.
This was a welcome development for the troubled team on a weekend where there was some good news in other national disciplines.
The national men’s soccer team beat the DRC 1-2 away in Kinshasa while the National Sevens Rugby team were crowned African Champions as they dispatched powerhouse, Kenya17-9 in Tunisia.
Speaking after the declaration yesterday, Zimbabwe Captain, Hamilton Masakadza said, “Our fielding was good, but the bowlers did really well.
“But the batting has been a let down for us this tour, we will look to correct that before we go to Bangladesh. The top three or top four wasn’t setting up a platform for the team, and that didn’t allow us to express ourselves. We have to adjust quickly to Bangladesh conditions. We play in the next five-six days, so time is short. Mavuta has come on really well this series, his bowling has been a revelation.”
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Cricket is heading to Bangladesh next, with the first of three ODIs against Bangladesh a week from now. Those games will be followed by two Test matches in Sylhet and Mirpur.
