Zimbabwe in South Africa : Hosts win the Benoni one dayer : Taibu's hundred in vain
Zimbabwe in South Africa : First one dayer at Benoni on 08.11.09. South Africa won by 45 runs
South Africa carved its 25th win over Zimbabwe in 28 encounters between the two teams when it won the first one day game by 45 runs.
HM Amla {80}, AB de Villers {51} and JA Morkel {50*} scored fifties in South Africa’s innings providing the sixth occasion of South Africa’s three or more batsmen scoring fifties against Zimbabwe in one day games.
HM Amla {80}, AB de Villers {51} and JA Morkel {50*} scored fifties in South Africa’s innings which swelled the number of fifties by South African batsmen against Zimbabwe to 54.
HM Amla with his 80 in this game registered his fifth one day fifty {fourth half century}, AB de Villlers with his 50 in this game registered his 23rd one day fifty {20th half century}and JA Morkel with his 51 not out registered his second one day fifty {second half century}.
South Africa capped R McLaren in this game who became the 94th South African cricketer to play one day games. R McLaren became the eleventh South African cricketer to make his debut against Zimbabwe in one day games.
R McLaren returned with figures of 3 for 51 in this game providing the seventh occasion of a South African bowler to capture three or more wickets on his one day deubt. His figures represent the best bowling figures by a South African bowler on debut against Zimbabwe. The previous best was RE Bryson’s 1 for 41 at Cape Town on 29.01.97.
MA Vermeulen pouched three catches in this game to become the second Zimbabwean fieldsman to pouch three catches against South Africa in one day games, after AR Whittal who had taken three catches at Chelmsford on 29.05.99.
MA Vermeulen pouched three catches in this game providing the eleventh occasion of Zimbabwean fieldsman accounting for three or more catches in one day games.
| No | Fieldsmen | Ct | Opp | Ground | Date |
| 1 | ADR Campbell | 3 | Ken | Dhaka | 19.02.99 |
| 2 | AR Whittall | 3 | RSA | Chelmsford | 29.05.99 |
| 3 | GJ Whittall | 4 | Eng | The Oval | 08.07.00 |
| 4 | SV Carlisle | 3 | Win | Sydney | 23.01.01 |
| 5 | SV Carlisle | 3 | Ban | Chittagong | 23.11.01 |
| 6 | ADR Campbell | 3 | Ind | Col-RPS | 14.09.02 |
| 7 | SV Carlisle | 3 | Ban | Harare | 14.03.04 |
| 8 | S Matsikenyeri | 3 | Ban | Dhaka | 29.01.05 |
| 9 | E Chigumbura | 4 | Win | Port of Spain | 14.05.06 |
| 10 | MA Vermeulen | 3 | Ban | Bulawayo | 14.08.09 |
| 11 | MA Vermeulen | 3 | RSA | Benoni | 08.11.09 |
MA Vermeulen became the third Zimbabwean fieldsman to account for three catches in an innings on two or more occasions. Others are SV Carlisle {three occasions} and ADR Campbell {two occasions}
| No | Fieldsmen | Ct | Opp | Ground | Date |
| 1 | ADR Campbell | 3 | Ken | Dhaka | 19.02.99 |
| 2 | ADR Campbell | 3 | Ind | Col-RPS | 14.09.02 |
| 1 | MA Vermeulen | 3 | Ban | Bulawayo | 14.08.09 |
| 2 | MA Vermeulen | 3 | RSA | Benoni | 08.11.09 |
| 1 | SV Carlisle | 3 | Win | Sydney | 23.01.01 |
| 2 | SV Carlisle | 3 | Ban | Chittagong | 23.11.01 |
| 3 | SV Carlisle | 3 | Ban | Harare | 14.03.04 |
CB Mpofu returned with figures of none for 70 in this game providing the 28th occasion of a Zimbabwe bowler conceding seventy plus runs in a one day game. His figures represent the seventh occasion of a Zimbabwe bowler conceding seventy plus runs in a one day game against South Africa.
CB Mpofu returned with figures of none for 70 in this game providing the third occasion of a Zimbabwe bowler conceding seventy plus runs without a wicket in a one day game against South Africa. His figures represent the eleventh occasion of a Zimbabwe bowler conceding seventy plus runs without a wicket in a one day game.
CB Mpofu became the second Zimbabwean bowler after ML Nkala to concede seventy plus runs without a wicket on two or more occasions
| No | Bowlers | W | R | Opp | Ground | Date |
| 1 | CB Mpofu | 0 | 72 | Pak | Karachi | 21.01.08 |
| 2 | CB Mpofu | 0 | 70 | RSA | Benoni | 08.11.09 |
| 1 | ML Nkala | 0 | 72 | RSA | Bulawayo | 23.09.01 |
| 2 | ML Nkala | 0 | 76 | Pak | Bulawayo | 24.11.02 |
| 3 | ML Nkala | 0 | 80 | Pak | Harare | 27.11.02 |
P Utseaya was making his 100th appearance in this game. He became the tenth Zimbabwean cricketer to play 100 plus one day games. Others are – GW Flower {219}, A Flower {213}, HH Streak {189}, ADR Campbell {188}, GJ Whittall {147}, SV Carlisle {111}, T Taibu {111}, S Matsikenyeri {104} and E Chigumbura {102}
T Taibu scored 103 not out in this game which represent the 63rd occasion of a wicket keeper batsman scoring a hundred in the history of one day games. His knock represents the eighth occasion of a Zimbabwean wicket keeper registering hundreds in one day games
| No | Batsmen | Runs | Opp | Ground | Date |
| 1 | DL Houghton | 142 | NZl | Hyd-LBS | 10.10.87 |
| 2 | A Flower | 115* | Srl | N Plymouth | 23.02.92 |
| 3 | A Flower | 120* | Srl | Sharjah | 21.10.00 |
| 4 | A Flower | 142* | Eng | Harare | 07.10.01 |
| 5 | A Flower | 145 | Ind | Col-RPS | 14.09.02 |
| 6 | T Taibu | 107* | RSA | Harare | 26.08.07 |
| 7 | BRM Taylor | 118* | Ban | Chittagong | 05.11.09 |
| 8 | T Taibu | 103* | RSA | Benoni | 08.11.09 |
T Taibu with his 103 not out became the only Zimbabwean wicket keeper to score two hundreds against South Africa in one day games. His other hundred was 107 not out at Harare on 26.08.07
| No | Batsmen | Runs | Opp | Ground | Date |
| 1 | T Taibu | 107* | RSA | Harare | 26.08.07 |
| 2 | T Taibu | 103* | RSA | Benoni | 08.11.09 |
T Taibu’s 103 not out in this game represent the 40th hundred by a Zimbabwean batsman in one day games.
T Taibu’s 103 not out in this game was in a losing cause providing the 25th occasion of a Zimbabwean batsman’s hundred going in vain in one day games. It also represents the 254th occasion of a batsman’s hundred in a losing cause in the history of one day games.
T Taibu’s 103 not out in this game was in a losing cause providing the eighth occasion of a Zimbabwean wicket keeper batsman’s hundred going in vain in one day games. It also represents the 16th occasion of a wicket keeper batsman’s hundred in a losing cause in the history of one day games.
Zimbawean wicket keeper batsmen have scored eight hundreds in one day games and it is interesting to note all the eight hundreds have been in a losing cause or put it the other way, whenever a Zimbabwean wicket keeper has scored a hundred in a one day game, Zimbabwe has failed to win that game
Zimbabwe lost this game by 45 runs after it had won the toss, inserted the opposition providing the 58th occasion of Zimbabwe losing a game after it had inserted the opposition. Zimbabwe’s loss in this game provides the fifth loss to South Africa after inserting the opposition.