De Kock shines as South Africa stuns Bangladesh

South Africa had a good day on the pitch after a resounding 149-run victory over Bangladesh in a tough contest in Mumbai. Quinton De Kock’s presence was felt quite well as he alone was responsible for hitting 174, his third century of this World Cup, which pushed his side to victory.

South Africa got off on a rocky start, reduced to 36-2 during the powerplay. However, a remarkable 131-run partnership between De Kock and Aiden Markram (60) steadied the ship and set the stage for an explosive finish.

The Proteas’ impressive batting display saw them post a commanding 382-5 in their innings, making it the highest score of the tournament.

De Kock was initially measured, requiring 101 balls to achieve his 20th one-day international hundred. However, after reaching the milestone, he shifted gears, aggressively attacking the boundary to add 74 more runs from just 39 balls.

Heinrich Klaasen took over after De Kock, and he continued the power-hitting display. Klaasen played an incredible innings, smashing eight sixes on his way to 90 from 49 balls, while David Miller added an unbeaten 34 off just 15 balls to conclude the innings.

Bangladesh was tasked with chasing down a World Cup record target, but did not go as they hoped. Marco Jansen claimed two wickets in two balls, commencing the top-order collapse. Further wickets by Lizaad Williams, Gerald Coetzee, and Kagiso Rabada left Bangladesh reeling at 58-5.

Nevertheless, Mahmudullah exhibited great determination, shepherding the lower order and preventing a potential record World Cup defeat. Mahmudullah showcased his resilience by reaching his fourth ODI century from 104 balls, ultimately scoring 111 before getting out.

Tuesday’s win pushes South Africa to the second position in the table, trailing leaders India by two points. Meanwhile, Bangladesh descends to the bottom, behind England, on net run-rate. South Africa will now prepare for their next fixture against Pakistan in Chennai on Friday, while Bangladesh have a chance at redemption as they face the Netherlands in Kolkata on Saturday.

Leon Osamor