Sports Correspondent

Zimbabwe’s hopes of mounting a comeback were dashed as South Africa romped to a commanding 328-run victory in the first Test at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Tuesday.

Despite a spirited 83-run seventh-wicket stand between captain Craig Ervine and bowler Wellington Masakadza, Zimbabwe were bowled out for 208 while chasing an improbable target of 537.

South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch starred with both bat and ball, notching up a maiden Test century before claiming a five-wicket haul to dismantle the Zimbabwean batting lineup. His performance earned him Player of the Match honors in what was a dominant display by a largely rotated Proteas side.

Zimbabwe resumed day four on 32-1, needing an unlikely 505 more runs for victory. However, Bosch struck with the first delivery of the day, dismissing Nick Welch and setting the tone for another collapse.

Captain Ervine voiced his frustration after the defeat, pointing to his team’s inability to convert starts into substantial scores.

“From a batting perspective, a few guys got starts, including myself, but we need to go on and get hundreds. Thirties and forties won’t cut it at this level,” he said.

The loss sees Zimbabwe trail 0-1 in the two-match Test series, with plenty of questions to answer ahead of the second Test.