Du Plessis keeps Proteas steady against Zimbabwe in one-off Test

South African batsman Faf du Plessis has kept his side steady after day two of their one-off Test match against Zimbabwe concluded at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday.

At the close of play South Africa had amassed 201 at the loss of four wickets in their first innings to trail Zimbabwe by 55 runs. Only 209 runs were scored on the day on a pitch that was getting slower by the day and on a surface that was providing increasing purchase to the spin bowlers.

Du Plessis (69 not out off 192 balls, 8 fours) and Quinton de Kock (27 not out off 48 balls, 3 fours) are the men currently at the crease for the South African side, Sport24 reported.

Du Plessis at one stage went almost three hours without hitting a boundary but he has shown time and again the ability to bat with enduring patience and he has a key role to play.

South Africa required 3.5 overs to remove the last Zimbabwe batsman with Dale Steyn claiming his 24th five-wicket haul to make him joint ninth on the all-time list for this particular statistic.

Dean Elgar and Alviro Petersen gave a sound start for South Africa as they put on 57 for the first wicket and Elgar and Du Plessis a further 75 for the second before Elgar was dismissed for 61 (146 balls, 7 fours).

The advantage swung back Zimbabwe's way when Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers were both dismissed before Du Plessis and De Kock provided a consolidating fifth-wicket partnership.

The match is currently poised slightly in the South Africa's favour but there is a lot of hard work still to be done if they are to take a significant lead, which would be important in the context of this match, the report added.