Zimbabwe v South Africa, 2014-15

At Bulawayo, August 17, 2014. First one-day international: South Africa won by 93 runs. South Africa 309-3 (50 overs) (Q. de Kock 63, H. M. Amla 122*, F. du Plessis 59); ‡Zimbabwe 216 (49.5 overs) (H. Masakadza 61, S. C. Williams 51, E. Chigumbura 36; A. M. Phangiso 3-43, Imran Tahir 3-44). MoM: H. M. Amla. ODI debuts: L. M. Jongwe, N. Madziva, J. C. Nyumbu (Zimbabwe).

Zimbabwe could be forgiven for feeling some relief at the absence of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander. But any firepower the South Africans sacrificed with the ball they made up for with the bat. Hashim Amla etched out his 15th one-day international hundred, and fourth in six matches, while Quinton de Kock - who for the first time failed to turn a fifty into a century - and Faf du Plessis helped expose Zimbabwe's inexperience. The whims of Zimbabwean selection meant half their six-man attack were making their debuts, and they lacked control at the death. Hamilton Masakadza and Sean Williams kept them in the hunt with 100 for the fourth wicket, but they succumbed inside 13 balls, and South Africa's two specialist spinners - Aaron Phangiso and Imran Tahir - claimed three apiece.