Nthabiseng Nini claimed 3-19 and Ayanda Hlubi 3-22 from their four overs apiece to help South Africa to victory by 14 runs in the fifth and final T20 International against Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Saturday, but, for the first time in the series, the tourists were given a scare or two.
Experienced duo Kelis Ndhlovu (38) and Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano (29) guided the home side to 103 for two with 54 runs required from the final six overs. The asking rate quickly climbed above 10 per over, however, and the innings subsided to 150 for eight in the face of disciplined seam bowling from 21-year-old Nini and 22-year-old Hlubi.
Earlier, Kayla Reyneke and Anneke Bosch added 75 for the fifth wicket to help the Proteas post an adequate total of 164 for six after captain, Laura Wolvaardt, chose to bat first and the Proteas slipped to a tricky 79 for four in the 11th over.
But Reyneke (34* from 31 balls) and Bosch (33 from 27) held their collective nerve to stem the flow of wickets and provided the necessary acceleration in the closing overs to post a respectable total.
Openers Miane Smit (30) and Faye Tunnicliffe (25 from 13 balls) gave South Africa a flying start, with Smit striking the only six of the innings to accompany three fours from 22 balls, while Tunnicliffe stroked six of the deliveries she faced to the boundary.
But when Tunnicliffe was trapped lbw by seamer Michelle Mavunga, Karabo Meso managed just six runs from 15 balls before she and Smit were dismissed within three deliveries. When Wolvaardt was caught for seven from nine balls, South Africa’s innings might have imploded.
Bosch gave way to Annerie Dercksen with three balls remaining in the final over, and the new batter drove her first two deliveries to the fence before being trapped lbw by Mavunga (4-0-46-3) with the final ball of the innings.
The tourists won all four preceding matches comfortably by margins of six wickets, 64 runs, 80 runs and 80 runs, but the home side will take consolation from running their neighbours to a tighter contest in the final match.
ZIMBABWE: Nyasha Gwanzura, Lorraine Pemhiwa, Keli Ndhlovu, Josephine Nkomo, Beloved Biza, Chipo Mugeri, Kadzai Chigora, Michelle Mavunga, Sharne Mayers, Nomvelo Sibanda, Francisca Chipare
SOUTH AFRICA: Faye Tunicliffe, Miane Smit, Karabo Meso (wkt), Kayla Reyneke, Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Anneke Bosch, Annerie Dercksen, Caitlin Wyngaard, Seshnie Naidu, Nthabiseng Nini, Ayanda Hlubi