Quinton de Kock delivered an explosive performance, scoring his second-highest ODI score and leading South Africa to a commanding 149-run victory over Bangladesh in the Cricket World Cup on Tuesday. De Kock racked up a staggering 174 runs from just 140 balls, hitting 15 fours and seven sixes.
This propelled the Proteas to the third-highest total of the tournament: a whopping 382-5 in 50 overs. This marks De Kock’s third century in just five innings. Heinrich Klaasen, fresh off his century against England, contributed a swift 90 runs from 49 balls, including two fours and eight sixes.
Bangladesh struggled to keep up with the high scoring pace and was dismissed for 233 runs in 46.4 overs. Gerald Coetzee led the South African bowling attack, taking 3 wickets for 62 runs.
Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada also contributed, taking 2 wickets each and giving up only 39 and 42 runs respectively in their overs. This victory marks South Africa’s fourth win in five games.
With this win, South Africa climbs to second place in the standings with eight points, surpassing New Zealand due to a higher net run-rate. Despite Mahmudullah’s impressive performance, scoring a brisk 111 runs off just as many balls, Bangladesh finds itself at the bottom of the table, ranking 10th with a lower run-rate than England, even though both teams have two points.
“I was a bit nervous at the beginning, but it ended up being a great day with another two points for the team,” said De Kock, the player of the match. He also praised his teammate Klaasen, saying, “He’s been really special in this tournament. He’s taken it by storm and everyone loves watching him play.”
South Africa chose to bat first, but they lost opener Reeza Hendricks early on for just 12 runs. Raasie van der Dussen was also dismissed lbw by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, leaving the Proteas at 36-2 in 7.5 overs despite the favorable batting conditions. However, stand-in captain Aiden Markram and de Kock turned things around with a 131-run partnership for the third wicket.
The partnership between De Kock and Markram was a game-changer, laying the groundwork for South Africa’s powerful finish. De Kock scored his half-century in 47 balls, while Markram reached the same milestone in 57 balls. Their 100-run partnership came off just 107 balls.
De Kock then went on to score a century off 107 balls. Unlike his previous two centuries in this tournament, he aimed for a longer innings this time, adding another 74 runs in just 33 balls.
Despite their strong performance, Shakib managed to catch Markram at long off in the 31st over, providing a much-needed breakthrough. However, this only paved the way for more destruction as Klaasen and De Kock hammered 142 runs in just 87 balls, pushing South Africa past the 300 mark in the 44th over.
In response to South Africa’s formidable total, Bangladesh’s chase fell apart, collapsing to 81-6 in just 22 overs. Jansen struck early, dismissing opener Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto in quick succession in the seventh over. Both were caught behind off consecutive deliveries, with Klaasen stepping in as wicketkeeper as De Kock was dealing with cramps.
Litton Das was the top scorer among Bangladesh’s top five batsmen with 22 runs off 44 balls. He was dismissed lbw by Rabada in the 15th over. Lizaad Williams caught Shakib behind for one, while Coetzee dismissed veteran batsman Mushfiqur Rahim for eight runs.
Mahmudullah put up a fight, scoring 50 off 67 balls and forming partnerships with Nasum Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud. His century came off 104 balls, and he added another 68 runs off 56 balls with Mustafizur Rahman. Mahmudullah hit a total of 11 fours and four sixes.
Despite his efforts, Bangladesh’s defeat was inevitable. However, Mahmudullah’s performance helped Bangladesh avoid a more embarrassing defeat, as England’s loss to South Africa by 229 runs remains the largest margin of defeat in this tournament.