Wisden
Series review

Zimbabwe v South Africa 2007

ESPNcricinfo staff

One-day internationals (3): Zimbabwe 0, South Africa 3

South Africa completed their expected clean sweep over Zimbabwe during a week-long expedition across the border in August 2007, but the matches were not quite as one-sided as many feared, helped by the tourists' decision to rest some front-line players, such as Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher. Those who remained proved up to the job, although there were enough encouraging signs from the Zimbabweans to prompt Ray Mali, the South African administrator who had recently taken over as ICC president, to enthuse: "I believe these boys - if they are given a chance to play for the next three years as one unit - will be at the top of the world rankings."

That may be wildly optimistic, but there were signs of better application in all aspects of Zimbabwe's cricket, helped by the return of former captain Tatenda Taibu, who resolved his differences with the board and appeared in his first internationals for almost two years. He soon showed his batting class, picking up the scoring-rate in the second match and completing his maiden one-day century in the third.

Match reports for

1st ODI: Zimbabwe v South Africa at Bulawayo, Aug 22, 2007
Report | Scorecard

2nd ODI: Zimbabwe v South Africa at Harare, Aug 25, 2007
Report | Scorecard

3rd ODI: Zimbabwe v South Africa at Harare, Aug 26, 2007
Report | Scorecard

© John Wisden and Co.