Proteas' comedy of errors in Bulawayo

For a while in Bulawayo yesterday, the Proteas must have thought the script for the second ODI had been written by Lemony Snicket - he of A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Then realities were checked and AB de Villiers's team swept to victory by 61 runs to wrap up the rubber with a match to spare. But first there was fun and games.

John Nyumbu bowled a sweeping Hashim Amla via his gloves - yes, really - before derailing the express train known as Quinton de Kock. And that after De Kock had matched Jonathan Trott's record for the fewest number of innings needed to reach 1000 runs in ODIs. They both did it in 21.

De Villiers thought he had smeared a legside delivery from Prosper Utseya down leg and duly set off on a single.

Except that the ball had not made it past wicketkeeper Richmond Mutumbami, who effected the runout to register three wickets falling for 13 runs in the space of 26 balls.

But wait. There's more.

JP Duminy was bowled around his legs by probably the only delivery from Utseya that will ever turn and bounce to threatening degrees.

David Miller was on his way to big things. His huge six over long-on off Nyumbu and another sent arching high above the cover boundary off Luke Jongwe were the strokes of a man itching to make his mark.

However, he was sawn off by a poor decision by umpire Owen Chirombe.

Critically, Du Plessis hung tough for his second 50 in as many innings, a gritty 55, and shared the only half-century stand of the innings, 69, with Duminy.

Somehow - actually, with bits from Wayne Parnell and Kyle Abbott - South Africa got themselves to 257 before they were dismissed for just the third time in 34 ODIs against Zimbabwe

The series ends tomorrow.

Scores in Brief

SA 257 (F du Plessis 55; P Utseya 2/39).

Zimbabwe 196 (S Williams 55;

R McLaren 3/21).

SA won by 61 runs