Quin-ton! Opener scores 2nd ton in a row as SA humble lacklustre Australia by 134 runs

Lucknow, October 12

South Africa reaffirmed their status as serious contenders as their pacers fired in tandem after Quinton de Kock’s masterful century, paving the way for a dominant 134-run win over Australia in the World Cup here today.

If de Kock showed his class with a 109 off 106 balls to take the Proteas to 311/7, the fast bowlers were at their ruthless best, bundling Australia for 177 in 40.5 overs for their second consecutive win.

The South Africans entered this game after a comprehensive victory in their opener against Sri Lanka. Australia, on the other hand, bowled without a plan, looked equally clueless with the bat — losing wickets in clumps — and were sloppy on the field, dropping as many as five catches. The loss will severely dent their confidence. They were also outplayed by India in their opener and sit second-last in the 10-team table.

De Kock, who will retire from the format after the World Cup, oozed confidence while scoring his second consecutive century with the help of eight boundaries and five maximums, while Aiden Markram smashed 56 off 44 to help the team post the highest ODI total in Lucknow. Markram, who was dropped on 1 by Pat Cummins off his own bowling, clobbered seven fours and a six.

The South African quicks were relentless with the new ball and bowled with accuracy to essentially finish off the match before the 18th over of the Australian innings, with Cummins’ side tottering at 70/6.

Lungi Ngidi (1/18) set the tone with some incisive bowling. Marco Jansen (2/54) backed Ngidi and reaped the benefit as he removed Mitchell Marsh (7) without much trouble. David Warner looked to get going but Ngidi struck for a wicket-maiden seventh over.

Kagiso Rabada (3/33) joined the party with the vital strikes of Steve Smith (19) and Josh Inglis (5) in consecutive overs. As the ball hit Smith’s pad Rabada looked unsure, but de Kock insisted on appealing. To South Africa’s delight and Smith’s disbelief, the umpire was forced to change his decision as the ball tracking technology showed it was hitting the leg stump. The ball seamed for Rabada as he came back to finish Inglis’ nascent innings. Australia’s trouble with left-arm spin continued as Keshav Maharaj (2/30) caught Glenn Maxwell (3) off his own bowling. Marnus Labuschagne (46) and Mitchell Starc (27) stitched a fighting 69-run stand for the seventh wicket but that was not enough to change the course of the match.

Earlier, de Kock paced his innings well and troubled the Australian bowling attack, which cut a sorry figure, on a difficult pitch.

The rub of the green also went the Proteas’ way as the Australians were guilty of spilling numerous catches. Off-spinner Maxwell (2/34) was their most successful bowler while the others managed to get some wickets near the end of the innings.

After a rather sedate start, de Kock, who calls this stadium ‘home’ during the IPL, put a move on things. He used Starc’s pace to flick one over deep backward square leg to get the first six of the match in the fifth over. Both Temba Bavuma (35) and de Kock skilfully nullified the early threat that the Australian pacers generally pose.

In fact, skipper Cummins was at his wit’s end and kept shuffling between all his bowlers to find a breakthrough. — PTI

Scoreboard

South Africa

Q de Kock b Maxwell 109

T Bavuma c Warner b Maxwell 35

R van der Dussen c sub b Zampa 26

A Markram c Hazlewood b Cummins 56

H Klaasen c Inglis b Hazlewood 29

D Miller b Starc 17

M Jansen c Warner b Starc 26

K Rabada not out 0

K Maharaj not out 0

Extras: (b 4, lb 2, w 7) 13

Total: (7 wickets, 50 overs) 311

FOW: 1-108, 2-158, 3-197, 4-263, 5-267, 6-310, 7-311

Bowling O M R W

Mitchell Starc 9 1 53 2

Josh Hazlewood 9 0 60 1

Glenn Maxwell 10 1 34 2

Pat Cummins 9 0 71 1

Adam Zampa 10 0 70 1

Mitchell Marsh 1 0 6 0

Marcus Stoinis 2 0 11 0

Australia

M Marsh c Bavuma b Jansen 7

D Warner c van der Dussen b Ngidi 13

S Smith lbw b Rabada 19

M Labuschagne c Bavuma b Maharaj 46

J Inglis b Rabada 5

G Maxwell c & b Maharaj 3

M Stoinis c de Kock b Rabada 5

M Starc c de Kock b Jansen 27

P Cummins c Miller b Shamsi 22

A Zampa not out 11

J Hazlewood c Rabada b Shamsi 2

Extras: (lb 4, nb 2, w 11) 17

Total: (all out, 40.5 overs) 177

FOW: 1-27, 2-27, 3-50, 4-56, 5-65, 6-70, 7-139, 8-143, 9-175

Bowling O M R W

Lungi Ngidi 8 2 18 1

Marco Jansen 7 0 54 2

Kagiso Rabada 8 1 33 3

Keshav Maharaj 10 0 30 2

Tabraiz Shamsi 7.5 0 38 2