LUCKNOW: A second successive century by Quinton de Kock helped set the Proteas on their way to one of their finest ever ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup wins as they slayed Australia by 134 runs at the BRSABVE Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Thursday.
The left-hander, who struck his maiden World Cup ton in South Africa’s opening win over Sri Lanka, scored 109 off 106 balls (8 fours, 5 sixes) – his 19th One-Day International (ODI) hundred – that helped Rob Walter’s side amass 311 for seven after being asked to bat first.
Kagiso Rabada then took three for 33 with the ball after some fine early work by Lungi Ngidi (1/18), with spinners Keshav Maharaj (2/30) and Tabraiz Shamsi (2/38) also excelling to leave the Australians all out for 177 with nearly 10 overs to spare.
It was an excellent win for the Proteas and no doubt one of their greatest ever wins in the history of the tournament against a side that suffered their biggest ever World Cup defeat.
The result took the South Africans to the top of the table with their next game scheduled for Tuesday against the Netherlands in Dharamsala.
In Lucknow, however, they were full value for the win as they bossed their dilapidated rivals for most of the game.
De Kock and captain Temba Bavuma (35) keep on 108 for the opening wicket, ensuring an excellent foundation was laid at the top. Rassie van der Dussen (26) then added 50 for the next wicket with the former, along the way becoming the joint second-fastest batter in the game behind the legendary Hashim Amla to reach 2000 international runs alongside a host of players.
De Kock eventually fell honest before the 200 was raised, and although the Australians did manage to fight back in the latter fraction of the innings, the Proteas did still manage to set 312 for victory.
The other key contributors for South Africa were T20 International captain Aiden Markram with 56 off 44 balls (7 fours, 1 six), Heinrich Klaasen (29) and Marco Jansen (26).
The bowlers then improved drastically after their performance in the 102-run win over the Sri Lankans with all of them amongst the wickets.
Jansen (2/54) removed Mitchell Marsh (7) in the sixth over, before the uncertain David Warner (13) was taken out in the seventh.
Key man Steve Smith (19) was Rabada’s first victim, reducing the score to 50 for three, while Josh Inglis (5) was cleaned up by a beauty of a delivery from the abrupt bowler.
Glenn Maxwell (3) was caught and bowled by Maharaj and Marcus Stoinis (5) caught behind off Rabada to leave the Australians facing complete annihilation at 70 for six.
However, top-scorers Marnus Labuschagne (46) and Mitchell Starc (27) added some respectability to the scoreboard, before Shamsi mopped up the tail leaving the opposition all out in 40.5 overs.
ABOUT CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA
Cricket South Africa (CSA), an affiliate of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), is the national governing body for the sport of cricket in South Africa and administers all aspects of South African cricket, men and women, both in the professional and amateur spheres.
Source: cricket.co.za
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Liquid Science
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