- July 19, 2025
Still smarting from a Kiwi sting, South Africa now turns its claws toward Zimbabwe in search of redemption. The batting looked impressive at times, but there were several problems in the bowling, particularly during the opening overs. After making some changes and with some players stepping up, the Proteas will be looking for revenge against a Zimbabwe team that can spring surprises on their home turf. This encounter could determine qualification for the final.
Openers
Lhuan-dre Pretorius was on song at the top in the last game, hammering 27 off just 17 balls. His aggressive intent in the Powerplay was one of South Africa’s highlights in the chase. He impeccably smashed six boundaries, and at a strike rate of 158.82, Pretorius showed he is more than capable of getting South Africa off to a flyer.
Reeza Hendricks should come in as his partner. While his 16 off 12 may not look appealing on paper, Hendricks swashbuckled on a classy order and rightfully hasn’t been dropped yet. He certainly has the experience and temperament to bat deep into the innings, rotating occupancy of the crease turning 3’s, and anchoring if the team loses quick wickets.
Middle Order
With the swagger of a rockstar and the bat as his guitar, Brevis shredded New Zealand’s rhythm with a 35-run power solo. Brevis is capable of being dynamic and immediately going up through gears, and combined with that, it makes him an X-factor with the bat in the middle order.
Another important piece is George Linde. While sometimes defined more as an all-rounder, Linde’s 30 off 20 in the last game was a sharp counter-attack. Linde’s innings had proper tempo, and he put together a useful partnership in the middle overs. We have to remember that Linde is uniquely capable of effectively striking both spin and pace, and this provides balance to the middle order.
All-Rounders
Senuran Muthusamy has opened up a strong case for himself as part of the XI for his tight spell of bowling (1/19 in 4 overs), but his value with the bat and ability to control an innings with the ball are most notable. While he is not usually the player making headlines for scoring 7 runs, he was able to dictate the innings and was more economical with the ball. T
Corbin Bosch is currently wicketless but can still provide value with both bat and ball. He scored 8 off 4 balls on his cameo, which was enough to keep him part of the XI, and he bowled economically enough to stay in the XI. He can give depth to the batting order and can get wickets when called upon.
Bowlers
Gerald Coetzee displayed some glimpses of menace with his raw pace and bounce, taking 1 for 39. Although he was a little erratic at times, his ability to hit the deck hard, with menacing short-pitched deliveries, makes him a natural strike bowler. He could very well be a match-winner against Zimbabwe, who might struggle with a bit of extra pace in the conditions.
Lungi Ngidi is the senior leader in this line-up, and while his 3 overs went for 28, he did give us an early breakthrough with the new ball. He has variations and experience that are match-winners, specifically in the Powerplay and death. Ngidi will be tested under the pressure of wickets and will want to show that he is better than this performance in the fourth match.
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