Last Updated on 11 years by Charbel Coorey

Zimbabwe’s last two games have given their players and fans hope. Hope for an unthinkable finals appearance and hope for their future. They’ve responded really well after being humbled by Australia on the opening day of the tournament, by challenging South Africa in their 2nd game, and beating Australia in their 3rd. However, they not only need to win by a bonus point here, but thrash South Africa so that their net run rate can put them in a position where they can challenge for the trophy in the final. Surely, their time in the tournament will end at the conclusion of this game.

Can Zimbabwe trouble SA again?

Despite Zimbabwe’s need to win big, their main focus should be to play smart cricket and compete throughout – trying to smash South Africa should be the last thing on their minds because it will affect their performance negatively. What’s important for Zimbabwe is they do the simple things well and challenge South Africa to make the moves in the match. If they can put South Africa under enough pressure, just as they did in their last meeting against the Proteas, who’s to say Zimbabwe can’t pull off another upset?

For South Africa, their last two games have been well below what they’re capable of. They would have been disappointed with their batting efforts in these two games and their death bowling leaves plenty to be desired. Mitchell Marsh knows very well the Proteas’ inability to finish off an innings well with the ball, smashing 80 odd off just 51 balls in the last game. This means that there is no room for experimentation or complacency within the South African camp as they look to prepare themselves for a shot at silverware ahead of the World Cup. One thing is for sure though, and that is whoever goes on and wins this tournament, they’ll have had to work incredibly hard for it, which for me shows that this series has been pretty successful thus far.

Faf Du Plessis scores his 2nd ODI hundred

Batsmen to watch:
For South Africa, Faf du Plessis has been fantastic, scoring two consecutive ODI hundreds against the Australians. He kept South Africa right in with a shot at winning against the Aussies in the last match only to step onto his stumps when working the ball onto the onside. If he can hold the innings for South Africa in this game, he’ll give the likes of De Villiers and Duminy the chance to bat around him which is an ominous proposition for Zimbabwe.

Mawoyo 163* v Pakistan 2011.

For Zimbabwe, scores of 1, 0 & 15 do not represent Tino Mawoyo’s ability at the top of the Zimbabwean batting lineup. He needs to improve on his average of 8.28 after 7 ODIs and he has a wonderful chance here when his side needs him to perform. He has a top score of 163* in Tests, that against Pakistan and will look to prove the doubters wrong in ODIs.

                                                                 Bowlers to watch:

Utseya walks off after taking 5 wickets v SA

For Zimbabwe, who else but Prosper Utseya? He has been so superb in this tri-series for Zimbabwe, taking 7 wickets in three games (including a hat-trick against SA) with an economy rate of under 4.50. Zimbabwe will be looking to him to cause further problems for the Proteas.
For South Africa, Dale Steyn would have been disappointed with his finish against Australia when he was hit for three sixes in a row by Mitch Marsh. Despite the conditions likely to suit the spinners, Steyn will be looking to bounce back. Zimbabwe better watch out if he gets going.

Prediction: This is a danger game for South Africa, as they’ll face a Zimbabwe side with nothing to lose. Zimbabwe will be on a high after beating Australia and will do their bit to make life as difficult for South Africa as possible. However, I expect South Africa to win as their class will shine through. I expect to see them step it up a gear and put in a good performance as they would want to fine tune their skills before the final.