South Africa U19 Crush Zimbabwe U19 by 226 Runs in Harare
South Africa U19 posted 303 for 6, powered by Bulbulia’s 75 and Bosman’s unbeaten 54. In reply, Zimbabwe U19 collapsed for just 77 in 23.5 overs. Bandile Mbatha was the star with the ball, grabbing 5 for 16. South Africa secured a dominant 226-run victory in the Tri-Nation U19 clash.
On August 4, 2025, at Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe, the South Africa Under-19s cricket team put on a fantastic show in the seventh match of the Tri-Nation Under-19s Tournament. They completely outplayed the Zimbabwe Under-19s, winning by a huge 226 runs. South Africa’s batters piled up a massive 303 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in their 50 overs, with strong performances from their top and middle-order players. Then, their bowlers ran through Zimbabwe’s batting lineup, bowling them out for just 77 runs in 23.5 overs.
South Africa’s Batting: Building a Huge Total
South Africa’s batting was a perfect mix of careful play and aggressive hitting. Zimbabwe won the toss and decided to bowl first, probably thinking they could keep South Africa’s score low and chase it down. But South Africa’s openers, Adnaan Lagadien and Muhammed Bulbulia, had other ideas. They started strong, putting on 129 runs together for the first wicket in 21.3 overs. This big partnership gave South Africa a solid base to build a huge score.
Five overs remaining, South Africa U19 are 267/4
— Zimbabwe Cricket (@ZimCricketv) August 4, 2025
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Adnaan Lagadien played a steady role, scoring 53 runs off 72 balls. He hit six fours, picking his moments to attack while keeping the scoreboard moving. His calm approach made sure South Africa didn’t lose early wickets and kept the run rate healthy. Muhammed Bulbulia, the team’s wicketkeeper, was more attacking, smashing 75 runs off 68 balls. His innings was packed with 11 fours, showing off his ability to find gaps in the field and put pressure on Zimbabwe’s bowlers. Together, they were the perfect pair, one cautious, one aggressive, setting South Africa up for a big total.
Zimbabwe finally got a breakthrough in the 21st over when Benny Zuze got Lagadien out, caught by Ambitious Muduma. This ended the 129-run stand, but South Africa didn’t slow down. Bulbulia kept going for a bit before he was caught by Zimbabwe’s wicketkeeper, Jayden Matsikenyeri, off Rowyn Konson’s bowling in the 25th over for 75. Armaan Manack came in next and didn’t waste time, scoring a quick 43 runs off 37 balls with five fours. His fast scoring kept the momentum going, and he added a quick 21 runs with Vihan Pretorius for the third wicket.
Vihan Pretorius, batting at number four, played a key role in the middle of the innings. He scored 52 runs off 57 balls, hitting four fours. His mix of solid defense and smart attacking shots kept South Africa on track after losing their openers. Pretorius and Manack put on 58 runs together, taking the score past 200. Manack got out in the 33rd over, caught by Matsikenyeri off Marshal Mashava’s bowling, but South Africa kept pushing forward.
In the final overs, Daniel Bosman took over. He played an unbeaten 54 runs off 50 balls, hitting six fours. His aggressive batting was crucial in getting South Africa past 300. Bosman found boundaries regularly and kept the scoreboard ticking, making sure the team made the most of the strong start. Paul James chipped in with 4 runs off 4 balls, and Bandile Mbatha added 8 runs off 9 balls, but both got out trying to score quickly. James was caught by Madharamete off Mashava, and Mbatha was caught by Samuel Muyambo off Kirby Madharamete. Captain Jason Rowles finished not out on 3 runs off 3 balls, helping South Africa reach 303/6 in their 50 overs.
South Africa’s innings had a run rate of 6.06, which shows how consistently they scored. Zimbabwe’s bowlers gave away 11 wides, which added to the total. Marshal Mashava was the best of their bowlers, taking 2 wickets for 50 runs in 9 overs. Benny Zuze, Rowyn Konson, Tinotenda Nzua, and Kirby Madharamete each took one wicket, but they were expensive, with Madharamete (7.00 runs per over) and Muduma (7.25) struggling to keep things tight. Zimbabwe’s bowlers couldn’t find a way to stop South Africa’s batters, who took control from the start.
South Africa U19 set a target of 304 for Zimbabwe U19
— Zimbabwe Cricket (@ZimCricketv) August 4, 2025
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The big partnerships were the key. The 129-run opening stand between Lagadien and Bulbulia set the tone. The 58-run partnership between Manack and Pretorius kept things moving, and the 50-run stand between Pretorius and Bosman made sure South Africa stayed strong. Bosman’s late hitting pushed them to a huge 303.
Zimbabwe’s Batting: Falling Apart Under Pressure
Chasing 304 runs was always going to be tough, and Zimbabwe’s batting fell apart against South Africa’s sharp bowling. Things started badly when opener Rowyn Konson got out for 8 runs off 13 balls, with two fours, in the 4th over. He was caught by Bulbulia off JJ Basson’s bowling, and this early wicket put Zimbabwe on the back foot.
After 35 overs, South Africa U19 are 212/3
— Zimbabwe Cricket (@ZimCricketv) August 4, 2025
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Dhruv Patel and Jayden Matsikenyeri tried to fight back. Patel scored 21 runs off 32 balls with four fours, and Matsikenyeri made 15 runs off 28 balls with three fours. Their 20-run partnership for the second wicket gave Zimbabwe a bit of hope, but it didn’t last. Bandile Mbatha, South Africa’s star bowler, changed the game in the 11th over. He got Matsikenyeri out, bowled for 15, and then dismissed Benny Zuze for a duck off just one ball. This left Zimbabwe struggling at 49/3.
Mbatha kept the pressure on. He got Patel out, bowled for 21, in the 13th over, and then dismissed Zimbabwe’s captain, Ambitious Muduma, for 4 runs off 9 balls, caught by Lagadien. Tatenda Banda, batting at number six, couldn’t get going, scoring just 2 runs off 15 balls before Mbatha got him out lbw. By the 17th over, Zimbabwe were in big trouble at 58/6, with Mbatha taking his fifth wicket to finish with an incredible 5 wickets for 16 runs in 7 overs, including one maiden.
Tinotenda Nzua showed some fight, scoring 20 runs off 28 balls with four fours. But with the top order gone, he didn’t have enough support. Samuel Muyambo scored just 1 run off 6 balls before Enathi Kitshini bowled him. Kitshini bowled a tight spell, giving away only 3 runs in 3 overs, with two maidens. The lower order had no answers, with Marshal Mashava (0 off 4) and Kirby Madharamete (0 off 5) both falling to Paul James, who bowled brilliantly to take 3 wickets for 5 runs in 2.5 overs. Nzua was the last to go, bowled by James in the 23.5th over, as Zimbabwe were all out for 77 runs, with a run rate of 3.23.
South Africa U19 beat Zimbabwe U19 by 226 runs.
— Zimbabwe Cricket (@ZimCricketv) August 4, 2025
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South Africa’s bowlers were on fire. Mbatha’s five wickets were the highlight, backed up by James’s three wickets and one each from Basson and Kitshini. They bowled tight lines, and the fielders, especially Bulbulia and Lagadien, took important catches to make sure Zimbabwe had no way back.
TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game
Muhammed Bulbulia’s brilliant 75 runs off 68 balls was the TCNI Magic Moment of the Game. The wicketkeeper-batsman came out with confidence and lit up the match with his attacking play, hitting 11 fours. His innings lasted 111 minutes, with a strike rate of 110.29, showing a great mix of caution and flair.
Zimbabwe U19 strike to break opening partnership ☝️
— Zimbabwe Cricket (@ZimCricketv) August 4, 2025
South Africa U19 are 130/1 after 22 overs
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His 129-run partnership with Adnaan Lagadien (53) set South Africa up for their big total of 303/6. Bulbulia got out in the 25.1st over, caught off Rowyn Konson’s bowling, but his knock was the foundation for South Africa’s success, with Vihan Pretorius (52) and Daniel Bosman’s unbeaten 54 adding to his great work.
TCNI’s Hero of the Day
Bandile Mbatha was the clear TCNI Hero of the Day for his amazing bowling. Defending 304 runs, Mbatha bowled 7 overs, including one maiden, and gave away just 16 runs while taking 5 wickets. His economy rate of 2.28 was outstanding, showing how well he controlled Zimbabwe’s batters.
He took out key players like Dhruv Patel, Jayden Matsikenyeri, Benny Zuze, Ambitious Muduma, and Tatenda Banda, breaking Zimbabwe’s batting lineup. His performance was the key to bowling Zimbabwe out for 77 runs in 23.5 overs, sealing a huge win for South Africa. Mbatha’s skill and accuracy made him the star of the match.
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