<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/south-africa">South Africa</a> thumped <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/zimbabwe">Zimbabwe</a> by five wickets in a Super Eights dead rubber to maintain their unbeaten run and set up a semi-final clash against <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/new-zealand">New Zealand</a> at the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/t20-world-cup">T20 World Cup</a> on Sunday.</p><p>The 2024 runners-up chased down a target of 154 with 13 balls to spare to remain the only unbeaten side in this year's 20-team tournament.</p><p>Having already qualified for the semi-finals, South Africa rested speedsters Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen and spinner Keshav Maharaj and still restricted Zimbabwe to 153-7 at the Arun Jaitley <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/cricket-stadium">Stadium</a>.</p><p>Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza smashed 73 and returned to claim 3-29 but even his all-round brilliance was not enough to halt the South African juggernaut.</p><p>"Nice to get the win," South Africa captain Aiden Markram said.</p><p>"It can be quite tricky when you change the team a bit.</p><p>"Obviously with the bat, I'd have loved it to be more clinical, but probably not the worst thing that the middle order was put under a little bit of pressure and came through."</p><p>South Africa began with George Linde's left-arm spin following Raza's decision to bat after winning the toss.</p><p>Zimbabwe's top order struggled but Raza counter-attacked in spectacular fashion and raced to a 29-ball fifty.</p><p>Raza clobbered four sixes and eight fours in his 43-ball blitz before falling to Kwena Maphaka.</p><p>Clive Madande made 26 not out down the order but Zimbabwe still settled for a below-par total.</p>.ICC T20 World Cup 2026 | A battle of toppers in a group of death.<p>Raza did not throw in the towel, however, and led Zimbabwe's fightback with the ball.</p><p>Armed with the new ball, the off-spinner dismissed Quinton de Kock and rival captain Markram in successive overs to jolt South Africa out of any sense of complacency.</p><p>Ryan Rickelton smacked four sixes in his 31 but Zimbabwe struck just when a partnership was about to bloom.</p><p>Likewise, Dewald Brevis (42) threatened to run away with the game but Raza returned to dismiss the batter to keep Zimbabwe alive in the contest.</p><p>Tristan Stubbs (21) and Linde (30) combined in an unbroken stand of 53 to guide South Africa to victory.</p><p>"I've never got a man-of-the-match (award) after losing a game but I think I can hold my head high," Raza said.</p><p>"We took a bit of beating in the previous two games but with each beating came a valuable lesson.</p><p>"We have improved with every game that we have played. At least we now have got a taste of what it needs to be done for us to be a mid-table team." </p>
<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/south-africa">South Africa</a> thumped <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/zimbabwe">Zimbabwe</a> by five wickets in a Super Eights dead rubber to maintain their unbeaten run and set up a semi-final clash against <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/new-zealand">New Zealand</a> at the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/t20-world-cup">T20 World Cup</a> on Sunday.</p><p>The 2024 runners-up chased down a target of 154 with 13 balls to spare to remain the only unbeaten side in this year's 20-team tournament.</p><p>Having already qualified for the semi-finals, South Africa rested speedsters Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen and spinner Keshav Maharaj and still restricted Zimbabwe to 153-7 at the Arun Jaitley <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/cricket-stadium">Stadium</a>.</p><p>Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza smashed 73 and returned to claim 3-29 but even his all-round brilliance was not enough to halt the South African juggernaut.</p><p>"Nice to get the win," South Africa captain Aiden Markram said.</p><p>"It can be quite tricky when you change the team a bit.</p><p>"Obviously with the bat, I'd have loved it to be more clinical, but probably not the worst thing that the middle order was put under a little bit of pressure and came through."</p><p>South Africa began with George Linde's left-arm spin following Raza's decision to bat after winning the toss.</p><p>Zimbabwe's top order struggled but Raza counter-attacked in spectacular fashion and raced to a 29-ball fifty.</p><p>Raza clobbered four sixes and eight fours in his 43-ball blitz before falling to Kwena Maphaka.</p><p>Clive Madande made 26 not out down the order but Zimbabwe still settled for a below-par total.</p>.ICC T20 World Cup 2026 | A battle of toppers in a group of death.<p>Raza did not throw in the towel, however, and led Zimbabwe's fightback with the ball.</p><p>Armed with the new ball, the off-spinner dismissed Quinton de Kock and rival captain Markram in successive overs to jolt South Africa out of any sense of complacency.</p><p>Ryan Rickelton smacked four sixes in his 31 but Zimbabwe struck just when a partnership was about to bloom.</p><p>Likewise, Dewald Brevis (42) threatened to run away with the game but Raza returned to dismiss the batter to keep Zimbabwe alive in the contest.</p><p>Tristan Stubbs (21) and Linde (30) combined in an unbroken stand of 53 to guide South Africa to victory.</p><p>"I've never got a man-of-the-match (award) after losing a game but I think I can hold my head high," Raza said.</p><p>"We took a bit of beating in the previous two games but with each beating came a valuable lesson.</p><p>"We have improved with every game that we have played. At least we now have got a taste of what it needs to be done for us to be a mid-table team." </p>