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AN unbeaten half-century by middle-order batter Alistair Frost ended up in vain as the South Africa Emerging side cruised to a comfortable seven-wicket win over the Zimbabwe Emerging side in the first Unofficial One Day International (ODI) between the two sides at Queens Sports Club yesterday. 

After the one-nil win in the four-day format, the South Africa Emerging side entered the white-ball leg of their visit as clear favourites and they did not disappoint.

The visitors won the toss after which they sent the hosts to bat first. 

Wickets fell at regular intervals with the opening pair of skipper Nick Welch (1) and Tinashe Kamunhukamwe (0) back in the pavilion with hardly any runs on the board.

Emmanuel Bawa tried to offer some resistance on his way to 49 runs off 70 balls and featured in a fourth-wicket stand alongside Takudzwaishe Kaitano that got the ball rolling for the hosts. 

The pair piled on 72 runs off 74 balls before South African spinner Caleb Seleka bowled out Kaitano for his 29 runs off 34 balls. 

It was at this juncture that Frost and Bawa met at the crease but their stand did not last long as Bawa was trapped leg-before-wicket for Seleka’s second wicket of the match.

The 21-year-old South African’s legbreak finished the match with two wickets for 31 runs from his allotted 10 overs.

Frost fought valiantly as the 25-year-old finished on 63 runs off 76 balls but failed to find a suitable partner as the Zimbabwe Emerging side were bowled out for 235 runs 

From the hosts, lower order, only Brandon Mavuta (29 runs out of 41 balls) and Tapiwa Mufudza (12 runs off 22 balls) managed to offer Frost some assistance as the two starred in a seventh and eighth-wicket stand that went for identical 39 runs off 58 and 53 balls respectively.

In the end, Frost was left stranded and out of partners for 63 runs. 

Set a target of 236 to win, the visitors hardly broke a sweat as they chased down the required runs with relatively ease. 

South Africa Emerging side’s openers Modiri Litheko and Lesego Senokwane gave the visitors the ideal start to the chase as they piled on 153 runs off 136 balls for the opening stand. 

The two top-scored for their sides with Senokwane finishing with 89 runs off 78 balls while Litheko chipped in with 59 runs off 71 balls.