Time for the presentation ceremony...

While Ervine fell just one short of a hard-fought fifty, Masakadza was rewarded for his resistance as he brought up his maiden Test half century. Corbin Bosch, who did the early damage, returned after the lunch break to break the stand and push South Africa closer to victory. He went on to complete his maiden five-wicket haul, capping off a memorable game that also saw him register his first Test century. Blessing Muzarabani landed a few lusty blows before Tanaka Chivanga was stumped, which brought the game to an end.

Going into Day 4, South Africa had nine wickets to take, while for Zimbabwe, it was about showing fight and taking it one session at a time. Their main aim was to get through the first hour unscathed, but things unravelled right away. Nick Welch fell on the very first ball of the day, and it quickly turned into a procession as Corbin Bosch and Codi Yusuf ran riot with the ball. Reduced to 82 for 6, Craig Ervine and Wellington Masakadza came together to steady the innings and defy the Proteas in the second hour of the morning session.

While Day 2 saw Zimbabwe lose Bennett to a mild concussion, Day 3 brought another setback as Blessing Muzarabani missed a major part of the day due to illness. Apart from a brief phase where Zimbabwe picked up three quick wickets, it was largely one-way traffic as South Africa piled on the runs, with Wiaan Mulder leading the charge. Others chipped in too, as the Proteas stretched their lead from 216 at the start of the day to 536 before being bowled out. Just when it looked like the hosts would close the day on a positive note with no wickets lost, Takudzwanashe Kaitano fell in the final over.

The Proteas declared overnight and put Zimbabwe in under challenging morning conditions. It turned out to be a one-man show for the hosts, with Sean Williams waging a lone battle with a ton. Apart from the centurion, no other batter offered significant resistance. Right-handed opener Brian Bennett was subbed out due to a mild concussion, which only added to Zimbabwe’s troubles. South Africa kept chipping away at the wickets and eventually bowled Zimbabwe out for 251, securing a 167-run first-innings lead.

Craig Ervine lost the toss but was more than happy to bowl first, and his bowlers made the most of the conditions on offer early on. Tanaka Chivanga exploited the seam and bounce beautifully, reducing South Africa to 23 for 3 in the first hour. The tourists slipped further to 55 for 4 before debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius led a spirited fightback. He first combined with fellow debutant Dewald Brevis for a momentum-shifting stand, and later with Corbin Bosch to take the innings forward. While the opening session belonged to Zimbabwe, centuries from Pretorius and Bosch in the next two sessions turned the tide completely, as South Africa ended Day 1 at 418 for 9.

A dominant win for South Africa! Without 7 players from the side that featured in the WTC final against Australia last month and fielding three debutants, Keshav Maharaj will be pleased with how it all panned out. Zimbabwe began the Test promisingly with a strong opening session, but from there, they never quite looked in the contest and this 328-run defeat marks their heaviest loss in Test cricket by runs.

The drinks break is timely, as South Africa is on the brink of victory, needing just one wicket to wrap up the match. Given Blessing Muzarabani's method of going after business with the bat at the crease, it's inevitable that Zimbabwe will fall to the visitors in this first game of the series.