Robinson's Steak Diet Powers Match-Winning Innings Against South Africa

Robinson's Steak-Fueled Knock Downs South Africa in Harare

Tim Robinson credits Zimbabwean beef for his match-winning performance against South Africa in Harare.

Tim Robinson celebrates his unbeaten 75 against South Africa. © Getty

Tim Robinson's unbeaten 75 off 57 balls propelled New Zealand to a 21-run victory over South Africa in their T20I tri-series match. According to Robinson, the secret to his success lies in the local cuisine.

"Zimbabwe, as a country, I love it so far," Robinson shared with reporters. "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 entered the game with New Zealand at 27/1. The situation worsened as they slumped to 70/5. He then partnered with debutant Bevon Jacobs, and together they forged an unbroken 103-run stand, lifting the Kiwis to a competitive total of 173/5. Jacobs contributed an impressive unbeaten 44 off 30 balls.

"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."

New Zealand's bowlers then sealed the deal, with Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy each taking three wickets to dismiss South Africa for 152 in 18.2 overs.

Robinson praised Jacobs, saying, "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 the future."

Jacobs was signed by Mumbai Indians before this year's IPL but did not feature in any matches.

Reflecting on his own performance, 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."

He expressed his satisfaction with contributing to the win and his desire to repeat the experience.

The crowd at Harare Sports Club clearly supported the New Zealanders. Robinson noticed the support and said, "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 local fans favoring any team playing against South Africa. Relations between Zimbabwe and South Africa have been strained due to perceived disrespect from the latter, particularly in the realm of cricket scheduling. Before this series, South Africa last toured Zimbabwe in September 2014.

One might say there's some beef between Zimbabwe and South Africa.