Debutant Ingram, Amla blast tons to lead S’Africa
BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AFP) — Hashim Amla and debutant Colin Ingram eased their way to centuries as South Africa dominated a weak Zimbabwe bowling attack in the first One-Day International at the Oval in Bloemfontein yesterday.
Amla hit 110 and Ingram 124 as South Africa made 351 for six after winning the toss and taking advantage of a good batting pitch.
The left-handed Ingram, 25, became the first South African and the sixth player in the world to make a century on one-day debut.
He had made only three and 12 in two Twenty20 internationals against the same opponents in the previous seven days.
He had the opportunity to play a substantial innings under minimal pressure, batting at number three after Amla and captain Graeme Smith had put on 64 for the first wicket off only 47 balls.
Ingram was able to build his innings by pushing the ball into the gaps while Amla raced to 50 off 32 balls and his fourth One-Day International century off 87 deliveries with 14 fours.
Ingram hit only two boundaries as he reached his half-century off 65 balls, but he picked up the pace after Amla was run out and finished with 124 off 126 balls, with eight fours and two sixes.
Opening bowler Shingirai Masakadza took four wickets for Zimbabwe but at the high cost of 89 runs.
Although five slow bowlers did not take a wicket between them they were the most effective at keeping the runs down, led by off-spinner Prosper Utseya, who conceded only 48 runs in 10 overs.
Scoreboard
South Africa
Hashim Amla run out (Utseya/Williams) 110
Graeme Smith c Taylor b SMasakadza 19
Colin Ingram b SMasakadza 124
AB de Villiers run out (Cremer) 21
Albie Morkel c Utseya b SMasakadza 1
David Miller b SMasakadza 51
JP Duminy not out 6
Johan Botha not out 3
Extras: (5lb, 11w) 16
TOTAL: (for six wickets) 351
Overs: 50.
Fall of wickets: 1-64, 2-200, 3-240, 4-255, 5-331, 6-346.
Did not bat: Wayne Parnell, Charl Langeveldt, Juan Theron.
Bowling: Chris Mpofu 8-0-59-0 (4w), Shingirai Masakadza 10-0-86-4, Elton Chigumbura 5-0-43-0 (4w), Prosper Utseya 10-0-48-0 (1w), Graeme Cremer 10-0-64-0 (1w), Grant Flower 4-0-23-0, Sean Williams 2-0-14-0 (1w), Brendan Taylor 1-0-9-0.
Zimbabwe: Elton Chigumbura (captain), Brendan Taylor, Hamilton Masakadza, Chamu Chibhabha, Sean Williams, Grant Flower, Tatenda Taibu, Shingirai Masakadza, Prosper Utseya, Graeme Cremer, Chris Mpofu.
Toss: South Africa.
Umpires: Enamul Haque (Bangladesh), Marais Erasmus (South Africa).
TV Umpire: Brian Jerling (South Africa).
Match Referee: Roshan Mahanama (Sri Lanka).