HARARE // South Africa beat Zimbabwe by nine wickets in the one-off Test at Harare Sports Club to reinforce their position as the top-ranked team in the long form of the game.
The South Africans easily knocked off the 41 runs they needed in their second innings, finishing on 44 for one to seal victory inside four days and follow up a series win over Sri Lanka last month under new captain Hashim Amla.
South Africa earlier bowled Zimbabwe out for 181 in their second innings after off-spinner Dane Piedt took four for 62 to increase his match haul to eight wickets on debut.
Fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel picked up three wickets each in the second innings, as Zimbabwe’s initial resistance was swept away and they slumped from 98 for two, losing eight wickets for 83 runs on the final afternoon.
Steyn, the top-ranked bowler in Tests, finished with match figures of eight for 84 and South Africa were seldom in trouble on a slow, lifeless pitch in Harare that the visiting batsmen and bowlers both took a little time to work out.
“Very satisfied with the win. We played well through the day,” South Africa’s AB de Villiers said. “Test cricket is all about playing well away from home.”
Zimbabwe fought hard and had their own off-spinner making a successful debut.
John Nyumbu took five for 157 in South Africa’s telling first innings of 397 to give the strugglers a positive outlook despite their batting collapse on the last day.
“We were competitive for three days and were blown away after lunch today,” Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor said.
“There were a lot of positives for us. Nyumbu has been in first-class form for a number of years. Full credit to him.”
Playing their first Test in a year and against South Africa in a decade, Zimbabwe made 256 batting first, relying heavily on Taylor’s 93. South Africa’s Piedt returned four for 90 in his first bowl in Tests and was an instant success when he removed Mark Vermeulen with his first ball, a delivery that turned sharply from outside the off stump on a pitch that helped the spinners more than anyone.
Steyn had enough pace and skill to trouble the Zimbabweans despite the pitch to take five for 46 in the first innings, his 24th career five-wicket haul.
South Africa replied with 397, with Faf du Plessis making 98, Quinton de Kock 81 and JP Duminy 55.
Opener Vusi Sibanda gritted his way to 45 as Zimbabwe held off the South Africans at the start of the second innings, but he and Vermeulen fell in successive overs to start the collapse. Steyn (3-38) and Morkel (3-15) backed up Piedt, who was named man of the match.
