Cricket: Zimbabwe force South Africa to scramble home

South African centurymakers JP Duminy (115no) and David Miller (138no) salute the fans in Hamilton yesterday. Photo / Getty Images

It took only one match for several holes to be poked in South Africa's case for winning the Cricket World Cup.

Last night's final margin of victory over Zimbabwe in Hamilton was eventually comfortable - 62 runs after posting 339-4 - but hardly comparable to those enjoyed by fellow favourites New Zealand and Australia on the opening day of the tournament.

South Africa were severely tested with both bat and ball against one of world cricket's minnows, surviving courtesy of a spectacular hour-long fireworks display put on by David Miller and JP Duminy.

Without that world record stand of 256 for the fifth wicket, the Proteas could have been on the wrong end of one of the tournament's greatest upsets.

Zimbabwe did shock Sri Lanka in their final warm-up game but their last ODI series win when facing a test-playing nation not named Bangladesh came in 2001 (against, just quietly, New Zealand).

They bowled tight lines early and their batting, especially during Hamilton Masakadza's rapid 80, thrilled their tireless contingent of drum-beating fans.

But, again, this was the same team who last year drew a home series against Afghanistan.

South Africa boast the world's first- and second-ranked batsmen. Their pre-tournament planning probably didn't account for AB de Villiers (averaging 52.16) and Hashim Amla (56.41) both missing out in the opening game.

The Proteas' pace stocks rival any in cricket, with Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel fearsome enough to consign Dale Steyn to first change. The trio took five Zimbabwean wickets between them.

That collective power outage from their five brightest stars could be far costlier against better sides later in the tournament.

Where every senior Black Cap stood up during the victory against Sri Lanka, South Africa's were found wanting.

If they choose the glass-half-full route, the Proteas can spin this as a positive. The victory did demonstrate the depth in their squad, particularly their batting order.

After all, there won't be many games in the next six weeks when de Villiers and Amla form with Quinton de Kock and Faf de Plessis a quartet of failures. After Miller (138 from 92) and Duminy (115 from 100) combined to pillage 146 runs from the final 60 deliveries, the rest of the competition was warned that every man in South Africa's top six is more than capable of turning a match.

But the rest of the competition would have also spotted a couple of weaknesses.

Those big names atop the order are perhaps prone to mental lapses when pressure is applied; those big guns with the ball in hand can be blunted employing the right approach.

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