Robinson's Steak Diet Fuels Match-Winning Innings as New Zealand Downs South Africa in Harare

Tim Robinson credited Zimbabwean beef for his match-winning innings as New Zealand defeated South Africa in a T20I tri-series encounter in Harare.

Tim Robinson's career-best 75 secured victory for New Zealand against South Africa. © Getty

Robinson, who scored an unbeaten 75 off 57 balls, attributed his performance to the local cuisine. "Zimbabwe, as a country, I love it so far. The climate's fantastic and the people have been very nice and very accommodating. And I love all the steaks. That's my favourite. I love the red meat over here; it's fantastic," Robinson told reporters.

New Zealand found themselves in a precarious position at 27/1 early in their innings. After losing four more wickets for 43 runs, debutant Bevon Jacobs joined Robinson to forge an unbroken 103-run partnership, propelling the Kiwis to a competitive total of 173/5.

"We were struggling when we lost those early wickets," Robinson acknowledged. "The way me and Bev thought about it was that the longer we spent at the crease, the easier runs would come. We couldn't afford to lose many more wickets, so we were trying to take it as deep as we possibly could."

The New Zealand bowlers then stepped up, with Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy claiming three wickets apiece to dismiss South Africa for 152 in 18.2 overs.

Robinson praised Jacobs, who contributed an unbeaten 44 off 30 balls. "He's quite big and you think he should hit a big ball, and he sure does. He was very calm and looked to really enjoy it. He looked completely comfortable. I think he's going to play a lot of cricket in future."

Jacobs was previously acquired by Mumbai Indians but did not feature in any matches.

Reflecting on his own approach, Robinson emphasized the importance of staying grounded. "The one thing you have to do as a cricketer is to try and be as grounded as you can be - be where your feet are and try and play the ball that comes to you."

"It's a great feeling contributing to a win for your country; an addicting feeling that I hope to replicate," Robinson added.

The Harare crowd showed strong support for New Zealand, a sentiment Robinson noticed. "My theory is it's a testament to the way that we want to play our cricket and the way we want to treat others. Hopefully we can continue to make the most of it for our supporters here."

However, the support might stem from the strained relationship between Zimbabwe and South Africa. Zimbabweans have long felt disrespected by their neighbors due to infrequent matches. The current tour marks the Proteas' first visit since September 2014.