T20 WC: South Africa, Zimbabwe forced to share points as rain plays spoilsport

Hobart [Australia], October 24 : The Group 2 Super 12 match of ICC T20 World Cup in Hobart failed to generate a result after being called off due to rain, with South Africa 13 runs short of the revised target of 64.
With this result, both teams have been forced to share a point each. Due to rain, the match was a nine-over affair initially. Zimbabwe scored 79/5 in their nine overs. South Africa was given a revised target of 64 runs in seven overs and the side was off to a blazing start thanks to wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock, but the Proteas still did not get to play full overs.
Chasing 64, Quinton de Kock started the chase with a bang. He smashed the pacer Tendai Chatara for 4,4,4,6,4,1 in the first over itself, scoring 23 runs in the first over itself. With this, he set the record of scoring the most runs in the opening over.
De Kock continued his carnage in the next over, hitting four more boundaries. At the end of two overs of the power-play after revised conditions, South Africa was at 40/0, with de Kock having scored 39 off 13 balls, with eight balls and a six. Temba Bavuma on the other hand had not even faced a single ball.
South Africa reached the 50-run mark in three overs but rain interrupted the action.
The match was ultimately called off due to rain after a few minutes of rain, forcing both teams to share a point each.
South Africa finished at 51/0 in 3 overs, with de Kock scoring 47* and Bavuma scoring 2*.
Earlier, a late resurgence from Zimbabwe helped them post an 80-run target against South Africa in a rain-curtailed match at the Bellerive Oval in the ongoing T20 World Cup on Monday.
Opting to bat first, the Zimbabwe team walked out for the national anthem, but the rain gods opened the gates of heaven to pour rain. The match was then reduced to nine over a side game due to the rain delay.
Zimbabwe openers Regis Chakabva and Craig Ervine got the inning started, with both batters looking to play unorthodox cricket shots rather than sticking to traditional cricketing shots.
The batting duo was unable to find the middle of the bat as the South African pacers bowled with extreme pace and kept beating them with bounce and pace.
Wayne Parnell ended Ervine's scratchy inning sending him packing for just 2(6).
Chakabava did manage to send Lungi Ngidi over the boundary in the third over but was dismissed on the next ball for 8(8) bringing arguably Zimbabwe's best batter to the crease.
Sikandar Raza joined the crease with Sean Williams in hopes of putting up a challenging total for the Proteas but both batters were dismissed even before the fifth over of the inning commenced.
Raza was dismissed of a superb bouncer from Ngidi, with Quinton de Kock taking a blinder behind the stumps. The most prolific batter for Zimbabwe walked back for a second ball duck.
Williams was unfortunate and was run out in the fourth over resulting in Zimbabwe losing their fourth wicket for just 19 runs at the end of four overs.
Wesley Madhevere and Milton Shumba then steadied the inning and played some fine cricketing shots to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Madhevere was highly effective with his attacking approach as he hit Rabada for two boundaries and one six securing 17 runs from the eight over.
The batting pair were also lucky to get five penalty runs in the last over after Ngidi's throw clipped the glove lying on the ground. Zimbabwe ended with 79 runs from their nine overs, thanks to Madhevere who played a superb knock of 35(18).
Ngidi was the pick of the bowlers getting two wickets for 20 runs.
Brief Scores: Zimbabwe 79/5 (Wesley Madhevere 35, Milton Shumba 18; Lungi Ngidi 2/20), South Africa: 51/0 (Quinton de Kock 47*, Temba Bavuma 2*) produced no result.