Cricket: Bizarre South Africa-Zimbabwe match rained off at Twenty20 World Cup

Richard Ngarava of Zimbabwe lays on the ground after an injury during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup match between South Africa and Zimbabwe in Hobart. Photo / Getty

Rain denied South Africa an all-but-certain win in their opening game at the Twenty20 World Cup on Monday as Quinton de Kock’s attempt to blast his team to victory against Zimbabwe was cut short by the weather in Hobart.

De Kock hit 47 not out from 18 balls as South Africa was initially chasing 80 to win — and doing it quickly — after rain delayed the start and reduced the Group 2 game to nine overs each.

The victory target was reduced to 64 off seven overs after more rain and South Africa was 51-0 after three overs when the weather returned for the final say before de Kock could get his team home.

The game was called a no result, giving each team one point to open their Super 12 campaigns.

Earlier, Taskin Ahmed took wickets with the first two balls of the innings to set Bangladesh on course for a nine-run win over Netherlands in their Group 2 meeting, Bangladesh’s first victory in the Super 12 round of a T20 World Cup.

Bangladesh was sent in to bat and made a rapid start before being restricted to 144-8 in cold, overcast conditions in the day’s early game in Hobart.

Fast bowler Taskin added two more wickets to his first-over damage to return 4-25 as Netherlands was bowled out for 135. Colin Ackermann played a lone hand for the Dutch batting lineup, posting a defiant 62 from 48.

It was Bangladesh’s first win in 17 games in the second round of a T20 World Cup.

“It was very important to get a win,” said Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan, the 35-year-old allrounder who has been involved in every edition of the world T20 event. “From 2007, I’ve played all of them and never won. That was back of our minds.”

Zimbabwe chose to bat first against South Africa and didn’t make it count after a long wait for the rain to stop and the game to start, losing wickets in the second, third and fourth overs and falling to 19-4.

A 55-run partnership off 33 balls between Wessly Madhevere and Milton Shumba gave Zimbabwe 79-5 in nine overs and something to defend. Madhevere hit 35 not out off 18 balls after being dropped on 11 when a high catch was juggled and spilled by Lungi Ngidi in the slippery conditions.

But even Madhevere’s fighting innings didn’t appear to be enough after de Kock slammed four fours and a six and took 23 off the first over of South Africa’s chase.

He returned after another rain delay to hit another four fours off the second over and South Africa was just 13 runs short when rain finally ended play. Captain Temba Bavuma made two from two deliveries as de Kock dominated the strike in their 51-run opening partnership.

The result sees South Africa trail Group 2 pacesetters India and Bangladesh with tougher challenges to come.

Bangladesh started aggressively against the Netherlands, with Najmul Shanto (25 off 20 deliveries) and Soumya Sarkar (14) combining for a 43-run opening stand before both were dismissed within seven balls.

Litton Das was caught off Logan van Beek’s bowling and Bangladesh slumped to 63-4 when 19-year-old spinner Shariz Ahmad had veteran Shakib caught on the mid-wicket boundary to pick up his first T20 World Cup wicket.

After losing 4-20, Bangladesh rebuilt through Afif Hossain, who top scored with 38 off 27 balls.

The run chase couldn’t have started much worse for the Dutch. Vikramjit Singh edged the first ball from Taskin to Yasir Ali. Bas de Leede reached for the next ball and was caught behind. The Dutch slumped to 15-4 after a pair of runouts in the fourth over.

A brief revival in the form of a 44-run fifth-wicket stand ended when Netherlands captain Scott Edwards (16) was caught trying a reverse paddle sweep in the 12th over.

From that point, only a brief break for rain on a rain-hit day in Hobart, and some late hitting from the lower order, delayed the inevitable. Ackermann was the next-to-last wicket to fall, chasing quick runs in an almost impossible victory pursuit and being caught on the boundary off Taskin’s bowling.