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Prince leads South Africa A to easy win

South Africa A eased to a comprehensive win over Zimbabwe A at the Queens Sports Cub in Bulawayo

Wisden Cricinfo staff
24-Aug-2004
South Africa A 178 for 5 (Prince 64) beat Zimbabwe A 177 (Ebrahim 64) by 5 wickets
Scorecard


Ashwell Prince: Led from the front © Peter J Heeger
South Africa A eased to a comprehensive win over Zimbabwe A at the Queens Sports Cub in Bulawayo. Ashwell Prince, the left-hand batsman, led the way with 64 as South Africa A easily overhauled the target of 178. This win comes on the back of a mammoth 180-run win in the first match of the series.
Tatenda Taibu won the toss and chose to bat, but things began to go wrong early. Brendan Taylor was trapped in front by Charl Willoughby with just 9 on the board. Vusi Sibanda (37) and Dion Ebrahim (60) then kept the bowlers at bay with a 69-run partnership that got the Zimbabwe A innings on track. Sibanda then became the second batsman to be dismissed lbw, when Alfonso Thomas struck (78 for 2).
Taibu (27), leading the A team as well, racked up one half of a fourth-wicket partnership of 54 before being caught by Willoughby off Garnett Kruger (132 for 3). Once Taibu was out of the way, only Ebrahim showed defiance, inching along to 60 before falling to Paul Adams. By then Mark Vermeulen and Alester Maregwede had come and gone, making 2 apiece, and Zimbabwe A were in trouble at 155 for 6. Just 12 runs later they were all out, for 177, with more than four overs to go.
South Africa A got off to a bad start, losing Morne van Wyk and Loots Bosman, the openers, with just 18 on the board. Neil McKenzie and Hylton Ackerman further exacerbated their plight by being dismissed without even reaching double figures, and South Africa A were reeling at 41 for 4. Prince then came to the rescue, scoring 64, and sharing in a partnership of 74 with Boeta Dippenaar, before being bowled by Prosper Utseya (115 for 5). That, was the last success Zimbabwe A tasted, as Dippenaar (46 not out) and Justin Kemp (40 not out) took South Africa A to victory without any further damage.