Taylor ton fails to down SA
Bloemfontein, Oct. 16: Hashim Amla and debutant Colin Ingram eased their way to centuries to set up a 64-run win for South Africa in the first one-day international against Zimbabwe in Bloemfontein on Friday.
Amla hit 110 and Ingram 124 as South Africa made 351/6 after winning the toss and taking advantage of a good batting pitch at the Oval. Zimbabwe opening batsman Brendan Taylor made a superb, career-best 145 not out as the tourists made a spirited reply, scoring 287/6 on a chilly night.
With South Africa missing their key bowlers Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Jacques Kallis because of injury, captain Graeme Smith said he thought his side’s bowling was “decent” despite them being unable to bowl out the Zimbabweans.
“We struggled in the first ten overs but from there to at least 35 overs we were really good. After that the game drifted a bit and it was really cold,” he said.
Smith praised a powerful batting performance in which the left-handed Ingram, 25, became the first South African and the sixth player in the world to make a century on a one-day debut.
Ingram had made only three and 12 in two Twenty20 internationals against the same opponents in the previous seven days. He had the opportunity to play a substantial innings under minimal amount of pressure, batting at the number three position after opener Amla and captain Graeme Smith had put on 64 for the first wicket off only 47 balls.
Taylor and Hamilton Masakadza got Zimbabwe off to a fast start, putting on 70 for the first wicket off 74 balls but after that Taylor saw a succession of partners come and go. He reached his third one-day international century off 105 balls and finished with 145 not out off 136 deliveries, with 12 fours.
Seam bowler Rusty Theron, like Ingram making his one-day international debut after playing in the Twenty20 games, took 3/62.
Scores: South Africa 351/6 (Peter Ingram 124, Hashim Amla 110, Miller 51) bt Zimbabwe 287/6 (Taylor 145 n.o., Masakadza 30; Theron 3/62).
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