PAARL: Reeza Hendricks and Heinrich Klaasen advanced their claims for long-term places in the South African squad as they hit half-centuries in a four-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the third and final One-day International at Boland Park on Saturday.

South Africa completed a 3-0 sweep in a series which was as much about giving opportunities to fringe players as it was about beating their neighbours.

“Our main focus was to keep looking at players and we tried to give everyone good game time,” said South African captain Faf du Plessis.

“Australia is our next tour [at the end of October]. It will probably be a bit tougher than this and we will be closer to our best 15 or 16 players for that tour.”

Hendricks made 66 and Klaasen 59 as South Africa chased down a Zimbabwe total of 228 with 4.1 overs to spare.

Hendricks hit a century on debut against Sri Lanka in August but scored only eight runs in his next four innings. Opening the batting, he helped Aiden Mark­ram put on 75 for the first wicket and batted fluently in hitting five fours and a six off 82 balls.

Klaasen played his second useful innings of a series in which he also kept wicket capably in the absence of Quinton de Kock, hitting six fours and a six in a 67-ball innings. Two catches and a lightning stumping helped win him the man-of-the-match award.

Earlier, Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada took three wickets each with only Sean Williams’ 69 providing any sustained resistance.

Brendan Taylor made 40, but Steyn and Rabada kept the Zimbabweans under pressure.

Steyn made a successful return from injury, coming through two of the three games in the series after having been out of action in ODIs for two years because of shoulder and foot problems.

Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza said his team’s batting had been disappointing. “We just weren’t good enough across all three games,” he said.

The sides start a three-match Twenty20 international series in East London on Tuesday.

Scoreboard

ZIMBABWE:

H. Masakadza c Klaasen b Rabada 28

S.F. Mire b Imran 7

C.R. Ervine c Klaasen b Steyn 0

B.R.M. Taylor st Klaasen b Imran 40

S.C. Williams c and Rabada 69

P.J. Moor c Hendricks b Steyn 10

E. Chigumbura c Klaasen b Phehlukwayo 9

D.T. Tiripano c du Plessis b Steyn 29

B. Mavuta c du Plessis b Phehlukwayo 18

K.M. Jarvis c Phehlukwayo b Rabada 8

T.L. Chatara not out 0

EXTRAS (B-3, W-7) 10

TOTAL (all out, 49.3 overs) 228

FALL OF WKTS: 1-16, 2-21, 3-44, 4-117, 5-151, 6-159, 7-182, 8-210, 9-224.

BOWLING: Steyn 9.3-1-29-3; Imran Tahir

10-1-44-2 (1w); Rabada 10-1-32-3 (3w); Shamsi 10-0-72-0 (1w); Phehlukwayo

6-0-34-2 (2w); Duminy 4-1-14-0.

SOUTH AFRICA:

A.K. Markram lbw b Williams 42

R.R. Hendricks lbw b Tiripano 66

F. du Plessis c Ervine b Mavuta 26

J.P. Duminy c Mavuta b Tiripano 1

H. Klaasen c Masakadza b Jarvis 59

K. Zondo not out 25

A.L. Phehlukwayo c Taylor b Chatara 0

D.W. Steyn not out 4

EXTRAS (W-7, NB-1) 8

TOTAL (for six wkts, 45.5 overs) 231

FALL OF WKTS: 1-75, 2-117, 3-122, 4-156, 5-222, 6-227.

DID NOT BAT: K. Rabada, Imran Tahir,

T. Shamsi.

BOWLING: Jarvis 9-0-40-1 (1w); Chatara 7.5-0-58-1 (1nb); Tiripano 9-0-35-2 (2w); Mavuta 10-0-44-1 (3w); Williams 10-1-54-1.

RESULT: South Africa won by four wickets to win three-match series 3-0.

UMPIRES: S. George (South Africa) C.B. Gaffaney (New Zealand).

TV UMPIRE: B.P. Jele (South Africa).

MATCH REFEREE: J.J. Crowe (New Zealand).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Heinrich Klaasen.

MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Imran Tahir.

FIRST MATCH: Kimberley, South Africa won by five wickets.

SECOND MATCH: Bloemfontein, South Africa won by 120 runs.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2018