MELBOURNE: Quinton de Kock‘s blistering knock almost handed South Africa victory over Zimbabwe earlier than rain performed spoilsport of their T20 World Cup opener in Hobart on Monday and each groups ended up sharing the factors.
South Africa have been comfortably chasing a lowered goal of 64 off seven overs, after the match was already lowered to 9 overs per facet on account of rain, and made an electrical begin with De Kock smashing 23 within the first over alone.
As it happened: South Africa vs Zimbabwe
Play was briefly stopped on account of rain however De Kock picked up the place he left off, accelerating to a brutal 18-ball 47 however the subsequent interruption after three overs proved to be the ultimate one, with South Africa needing solely 13 runs to seal victory.
Having elected to bat, Zimbabwe misplaced openers Craig Ervine (2) and Regis Chakabva (8) within the powerplay and have been left reeling at 12-3 earlier than the top of the third over after the in-form Sikandar Raza fell for a duck to Lungi Ngidi.
Sean Williams was run out (1) within the subsequent over earlier than the 53-run partnership between Wessly Madhevere and Milton Shumba introduced some much-needed stability to a chaotic Zimbabwe innings and helped them submit a aggressive complete of 79-5.

Madhevere top-scored with an unbeaten 35 off 17 whereas Shumba added 18 earlier than being dismissed on the final ball of the innings, with Zimbabwe additionally awarded 5 penalty runs after the ball rolled into De Kock’s wicketkeeping glove on the sphere.
Zimbabwe will play Pakistan of their subsequent Tremendous 12 match in Perth on Thursday whereas South Africa face Bangladesh, who kicked off their T20 World Cup with a laboured nine-run win over the Netherlands after paceman Taskin Ahmed took 4 wickets.
Earlier on Monday, the Netherlands selected to bowl first and did nicely to limit Bangladesh to 144 for eight on a dismal day at Bellerive Oval.
Paul van Meekeren (24) and Fred Klaassen (seven not out) produced a gallant 34-run partnership for the ultimate wicket and slogged the Netherlands to inside 12 runs of victory with two balls to spare.
However Van Meekeren was unable to clear the rope off Soumya Sarkar’s penultimate ball, sealing Bangladesh’s first win within the second spherical of a T20 World Cup in 17 makes an attempt.
Man-of-the-match Taskin ensured the Netherlands’ chase bought off to a dreadful begin as he eliminated opener Vikramjit Singh and quantity three Bas de Leede with the primary two balls of the innings.
A defiant half-century from all-rounder Colin Ackermann (62) saved Netherlands within the recreation however Taskin dismissed the quantity 4 in a two-wicket burst within the seventeenth over.
Bangladesh play South Africa in Sydney on Thursday, whereas the Netherlands face India.