Hamilton, Australia (BBN)-South Africa started their Cricket World Cup 2015 with a good sign as they crushed their neighbour Zimbabwe by 62 runs.
Earlier, South Africa scored 339 loosing 4 wickets in 50 overs.
Chasing the total, Zimbabweans were all out for 277 runs in the 48th over.
BBC adds: David Miller and JP Duminy of South Africa made a record one-day international fifth-wicket stand of 256 runs.
After a shaky start, Miller (138 not out off 92 balls) and Duminy (115 not out from 100) came together at 83-4.
They blasted the Proteas to 339-4, including 111 off the last six overs, while Miller smashed 30 off the 48th.
Hamilton Masakadza (80) helped Zimbabwe to 277 in reply, losing by 62 runs.
Hammered 5-0 by Bangladesh in their last ODI series, Zimbabwe were facing the highest successful run chase in World Cup history, but seemed unfazed by the size of their task.
Chamu Chibhabha (64) and Masakadza shared a century stand, with Masakadza reaching his fifty by hitting Dale Steyn for an audacious six over the covers, until both holed out to leg-spinner Imran Tahir.
When Masakadza fell, Zimbabwe needed 149 more from the final 17 overs, which proved beyond them, though tail-ender Solomon Mire entertained the crowd with a couple of huge sixes before falling to a superb full-length catch by Proteas skipper AB de Villiers.
“We really went for too much in the end,” said captain Elton Chigumbura. “We didn’t get the wickets we needed in the middle period and paid for it.”
TEAM:
South Africa: Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wk), Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers (capt), David Miller, JP Duminy, Farhaan Behardien, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir
Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza, Chamu Chibhabha, Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan Taylor (wk), Craig Ervine, Sean Williams, Elton Chigumbura (capt), Solomon Mire, Tinashe Panyangara, Tendai Chatara, Tafadzwa Kamungozi
BBN/ASI/AD-15Feb15-3:40pm (BST)
