Mumbai, October 25: In the 23rd match of the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023, opener Quinton de Kock displayed his incredible form by scoring his third century in five matches and a brilliant inning of 174 runs in 140 balls. This brilliant performance coupled with aggressive batting from Heinrich Klaasen took South Africa to a mammoth score of 382/5 in the stipulated 50 overs at the Wankhede Stadium.
South Africa, who came to bat first, struggled initially and during the power-play their score was 30/2. However, De Kock, captain Aiden Markram, who contributed 60 runs, and Heinrich Klaasen, who reached his second consecutive century by scoring 90 runs in just 49 balls, not only stabilized the innings, but also helped South Africa secure the lead. Also delivered in excellent condition for. His fourth win in the tournament.
De Kock’s innings was no less than a masterclass. He adapted his approach as the situation demanded, showed patience when wickets were falling and then bombarded the Bangladeshi bowlers with fours and sixes. His innings included a remarkable 15 fours and seven sixes. At times, he showed caution, while at other times, he used full force to overcome the opposition.
In the process, Quinton de Kock became the leading run-scorer in the World Cup 2023, scoring a total of 407 runs, making him the first player to cross 400 runs and surpassing Virat Kohli, who scored the same in five matches. 354 runs were scored.
De Kock was crucial in two important partnerships during the innings. First, he along with Aiden Markram added 131 runs for the third wicket and saved South Africa from a challenging score of 30/2 after the early wickets of Reza Hendricks (12) and Rassie van der Dussen (1). Later, he made a strong partnership of 142 runs with Heinrich Klaasen, who gave him a stroke-par match.
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De Kock’s aggression was on full display during the 43rd over, where he dismissed Shakib Al Hasan for 22 runs. This included the spectacular sequence 6 4 6 4 1. During this onslaught they reached their 150 and continued their dominance by scoring 29 runs off just seven legal balls in the next over bowled by Shoriful Islam. Klaasen also played his part and contributed to the damage by scoring a blistering 90 off 49 balls with two fours and eight sixes.
The crowd at the Wankhede Stadium was in awe of de Kock’s batting, and his stylish stroke play gave him loud cheers every time he reached a milestone. De Kock performed a wide range of shots, dancing on the track in front of the spinners, playing calculated cuts and hitting power-packed pulls against the fast bowlers. The six hit by reverse sweep off Mahmudullah in the 22nd over was the center of attraction.
Despite his remarkable innings, De Kock ultimately departed giving a simple catch to Nasum Ahmed at deep backward point, but not before he walked off the field to the applause of the appreciative crowd.
Aiden Markram played a vital role, providing constant support to De Kock. He completed his half-century off 57 balls before being dismissed after a brilliant catch by Liton Das off Shakib.
South Africa’s dominance continued towards the end of their innings, with David Miller adding to their total with an unbeaten 34 off just 15 balls.
The Bangladeshi bowlers faced a tough time, as they struggled to capitalize on key opportunities, including a direct-hit run-out against De Kock. Their failure to stop the South African attack helped the Proteas confidently reach huge scores.
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