South Africa moved closer to the T20 tri-series final after beating Zimbabwe by 43 runs in Windhoek on Tuesday.
The Proteas posted 185 for seven after being sent in to bat. Lhuan-dre Pretorius led the innings with 94 from 51 balls, narrowly missing a century after anchoring the South African total.
Pretorius shared an 86-run second-wicket partnership with Dewald Brevis, giving the innings its main platform before Zimbabwe’s bowlers limited the late scoring.
Zimbabwe’s chase ended at 142 in the 18th over. Left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin took four wickets for 24 runs in 3.4 overs to lead South Africa’s bowling effort.
The result strengthened the Proteas’ position in the round-robin standings and kept them on course for a place in the final.
South Africa’s next match is against hosts Namibia on Friday. The remaining fixtures will determine the final line-up for the title match.
Pretorius’ innings was the decisive contribution in Windhoek, while Fortuin ensured Zimbabwe could not build the partnership needed to keep pace with the required run rate.
