TossSouth Africa chose to bat
South Africa’s new crop of batters have been given an excellent chance to showcase their skills after JP Duminy won the toss and decided to bat first on what should be an excellent batting strip at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein. South Africa picked an extra batsman, with Khaya Zondo slotting into the middle order, while Dale Steyn will also play his first ODI in almost two years after coming into the XI for the rested Kagiso Rabada.
South Africa are 1-0 up the series after their five-wicket win in Kimberley, but that chase was completed with a significant middle order wobble and it was left to the experienced Duminy to lead South Africa stumbling over the line. Heinrich Klaasen seemed the only batsman to figure out how to score quickly on a pitch offering extravagant bounce, top-scoring with a career best 44.
Klaasen now has an opportunity to build on the promise of that innings, while the conditions should also suit the aggressive mindset being encouraged by the coaching staff in the rest of the line-up. Also looking to stake a claim in the starting XI after missing out on South Africa’s recent trip to Sri Lanka is Zondo. As captain of the A side, Zondo scored a rapid century against Australia A just over a month ago.
While Steyn comes in for Rabada, South Africa will be missing an extra bowler after Wiaan Mulder sprained an ankle in training yesterday. At the toss, Duminy suggested that he may well be called upon to bowl some offspin under lights later.
Not the the pitch will help the slow bowlers much. There are cracks in a surface virtually devoid of moisture, but they have been flattened by a heavy roller and if anything, the ball should skid on nicely off a very hard pitch.
As a result, visitors Zimbabwe have swapped Wellington Masakadza’s left-arm spin for Donald Tiripano’s medium pace in their lower order. Zimbabwe’s batsmen should find the going a little easier in this game, even batting under lights later, though captain Hamilton Masakadza suggested he would also have batted first. Masakadza is playing his 200th ODI for Zimbabwe today, becoming the fourth player to do so after the Flower brothers and Elton Chigumbura, and his efforts at the top of order will be vital to Zimbabwe’s chase.
South Africa: 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Reeza Hendricks, 4 JP Duminy, 5 Khaya Zondo, 6 Heinrich Klaasen, 7 Christiaan Jonker, 8 Andile Phehlukwayo, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Imran Tahir
Zimbabwe: 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Solomon Mire, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Brendan Taylor, 5 Sean Williams, 6 Peter Moor, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Donald Tiripano, 9 Kyle Jarvis, 10 Brandon Mavuta, 11 Tendai Chatara
Source: ESPN Crickinfo