A career-best century by Ryan Rickelton set South Africa A on their way to a massive 184-run victory over Zimbabwe A in the second one-day match in Harare on Monday.
The Central Gauteng Lions batsman smashed 169 off 150 balls (15 fours, 3 sixes) as the visitors amassed 365-6 at the Harare Sports Club, where Senuran Muthusamy then claimed 4-37 to help bundle out the hosts for 181.
The result enabled Malibongwe Maketa’s side to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series, with the third game to come on Wednesday.
After comfortably winning the opening match of the tour this past Saturday, the South Africans again dominated in match two.
Rickelton, who was called up by the Proteas earlier this year, was in extraordinary form, sharing in a first-wicket partnership of 120 with Janneman Malan (53 off 52 balls, 6 fours) and then adding 137 for the second wicket alongside Reeza Hendricks (51 off 46 balls, 4 fours, 2 sixes).
That took the away side to 257-1 in the 38th over, before the Zimbabweans put on the brakes slightly by picking up regular wickets.
However, the opener kept going until he finally fell with the score on 310, having gone past his previous best List A score of 157. It was also his fourth career century in 50-over cricket.
Captain Zubayr Hamza, batting way down at eight, provided the sting in the tail from South Africa when he bludgeoned an unbeaten 37 off 17 balls to lift them to a 366 target.
The hosts lost Chamu Chibhabha for a first-ball duck to Glenton Stuurman (1-15) and Tarisai Musakanda (9) was taken out by Lutho Sipamla (1-27) not long after, leaving them on 34-2.
But Dion Myers (70 off 63 balls, 6 fours, 2 sixes) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (48) raised their hopes thanks to a quick-fire 75-run third-wicket stand.
Once the latter fell in the 18th over, the next seven batsmen fell for 47 as the Zimbabweans suffered a poor collapse.
Dwaine Pretorius was at the heart of it with his two for 24, while Muthusamy was incredible in his 8.3 overs of spin – the local side all out in 35.3 overs.
© Agence France-Presse
