CENTURION (South Africa), March 13: Fast bowler Monde Zondeki ripped through the Zimbabwe batting and took his team to an innings win on the third day of the second Test at Centurion Park on Sunday.
Zondeki, 22, took six for 39 as Zimbabwe collapsed to 149 all out, giving South Africa victory by an innings and 62 runs.
It was a triumphant return to the international stage for Zondeki, who bowled only 29 balls without success in his only previous Test, against England at Leeds in 2003, before breaking down with a side strain.
Since then his appearances in domestic first-class cricket have been sporadic because of injuries.
“It was nice to finish the Test,” he said. “Picking up six wickets was a bonus. There was a bit of pressure. It felt like my first Test because it was the first one in which I have really bowled.”
Captain Graeme Smith hailed Zondeki for carrying an attack hit by injuries.
“He stepped into the gap and was superb,” said Smith.
Building up impressive pace, the wiry Zondeki took a wicket with his first ball and claimed three wickets for seven runs in his first six overs as Zimbabwe plunged to 29 for four.
Then he ended a promising stand between Hamilton Masakadza (47) and captain Tatenda Taibu (13), dismissing both batsmen, before wrapping up the innings when he had tailender Graeme Cremer caught behind.
Zondeki, who had match figures of nine for 105, had to lead the bowling in the second innings, with Charl Langeveldt out of action with a back injury and two other bowlers, Andre Nel and Jacques Kallis having suffered injuries in the first innings.
South Africa were also missing their two regular new ball bowlers, Shaun Pollock (ankle injury) and Makhaya Ntini, who was rested.
Zondeki responded with a performance of sustained pace and hostility, consistently bowling at around 140kmh, and taking a wicket in the first over of each of his three spells.
For Zimbabwe, who were defeated inside two days in the first Test in Cape Town, it was another dismal performance after they had shown some fight earlier in the match.
“We’ve got a long way to go with our skills,” admitted Taibu. “We need our batsmen to score big runs and for our bowlers there is no margin of error on these wickets.”
South Africa needed a total of only five days to win both Tests by an innings and lost only ten wickets in the two matches.
Skipper Smith said it had been a long, hard summer.
It started with a tour of India and was followed by a five-Test home series against England followed by one-day series against England and Zimbabwe before the Zimbabwe Tests.
“It’s taking its toll,” he said of the injury problems which let Zimbabwe off the hook after they had been 115 for seven in the first innings.
“Getting through this match was difficult and finding players to get on the field was difficult. But winning in three days was a superb effort.”
Smith said his team were riding a wave of confidence ahead of their departure for a tour of the West Indies on March 24 in which they will play four Tests and five One-day Internationals.
“Our confidence is sky high and it is important to take this through to the Caribbean,” he said.
Zondeki was named Man-of-the-Match and Kallis took the Man-of-the-Series award after making two half-centuries and taking 11 wickets in the two matches.
South Africa’s overnight batsmen Ashwell Prince and Nicky Boje punished the Zimbabwe bowlers to set up an early declaration, adding 100 runs in 18.5 overs Sunday before captain Graeme Smith called his batsmen in when Boje was out for 82.
Prince was unbeaten on 139 in a total of 480 for seven.
