Dale Steyn made a triumphant return to ODI cricket, starring with both bat and ball as South Africa beat Zimbabwe by 120 runs in a low scoring match at the Mangaung Oval on Wednesday.
After Steyn’s maiden ODI fifty, leg-spinner Imran Tahir took six for 24, including a hat-trick, as Zimbabwe collapsed while chasing 199.
Playing in his first ODI after two years, Steyn top-scored for his side with a career-best 60 in the Proteas total of 198, then took the first two wickets as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 78, giving South Africa an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to the match:
Zimbabwe all out for 78. Tahir gets 6 wickets for 24 runs. Zim was only chasing 199.
— Lesego Semenya (@LesDaChef)
VICTORY! 🙌 🇿🇦
Imran Tahir picks up his SIXTH wicket of the match to help the Proteas clinch a 120-run victory against Zimbabwe.
South Africa take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Zimbabwe are all out for 78 🏏
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA)
His first ODI after 721 days and the superb Dale Steyn scored 60 and then took 2 for 19 from 6 overs
— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket)
Imran Tahir is just an off spinner with the occasional leg break in his armour
— Langa (@_Langaman)
Sarfraz Ahmed & Dale Steyn both have now same number of 50's in ODI's in last 12 months.
— sudhanshu (@whoshud)
Earlier this week, Dale Steyn was revving about competition with young guns Rabada, Ngidi.
Yesterday, Imran Tahir said he had "no plans" of retiring.
Today, Steyn 60 and venomous bowling.
Tahir hat-trick and fifer.Need a certain recently retired batsman to now come back…
— Saurabh Somani (@saurabh_42)
ALL OVER. Zimbabwe 78 all-out and South Africa WIN BY 120 runs
Imran Tahir — 6/24 — He now has the best figures by a South African against Zimbabwe.
— Howard Musonza🇿🇼 (@howardmusonza)
His hunger to play cricket is just insane.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)
Lowest total v South Africa in ODI
43 by Sri Lanka at Paarl 2011/12
54 by West Indies at Cape Town 2003/04
78 by Bangladesh at Mirpur 2018/11
78 by Zimbabwe at Bloemfontein *TODAY* 2018/19
89 by Pakistan at Mohali 2006/07— Mike🏏⚾️🏀🏈🏳️🌈 (@CricketStatz)
South Africa win by 120 runs, 6/24 for Imran Tahir, brilliant all-round performance from returning Dale Steyn!
— Mayank Patel✌ (@Kohlity113)
I never saw the flamboyant Pakistani legspinner, Abdul Qadir.
He is universally rated as the greatest ever bowler of the googly. His golden days were before my time though.
His protege, Imran Tahir, is the greatest googly bowler I've ever seen.
— Dumisani Ndumo (@DumzaNdumo)
Imran Tahir is the fourth South African to take a men’s ODI hat-trick. The others were:
• Charl Langeveldt (v WI, Barbados, May 2005)
• JP Duminy (v SL, Sydney, March 2015 – World Cup Quarter Final)
• Kagiso Rabada (v Ban, Dhaka, July 2015 – on ODI debut)@SaGuerilla
— Nakul Pande (@NakulMPande)
Man of the match goes to Dale Steyn and surprisingly for his batting performance lol who would've thought!!! Congratulations and WELCOME BACK HOOLIO!!! 🎉🎉
— Brashna Kasi (@Brashnaa)
