Quinton de Kock spearheaded South Africa’s aggressive batting onslaught, smashing an explosive 174 runs on Tuesday (24). Their stellar performance resulted in a resounding victory over Bangladesh by a massive 149-run margin, keeping them firmly on track for a spot in the semi-finals of the 50-overs World Cup.
De Kock smashed the ongoing tournament’s highest individual score and South Africa’s middle order hectored a listless Bangladesh attack to amass 382-5 after electing to bat at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Their fiery pace attacks reduced Bangladesh to 58-5 and eventually bundled them out for 233 in 46.4 overs to register their fourth win in five matches.
For Bangladesh, Mahmudullah offered resistance with a run-a-ball 111 but it was not enough to avert a heavy defeat.
De Kock had announced he would quit one-day internationals after the World Cup in India and the opener appeared determined to make his farewell a memorable one.
South Africa lost Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen in successive overs after Aiden Markram, leading the side in the absence of the unwell Temba Bavuma, won the toss and elected to bat.
De Kock combined with Markram (60) in a 131-run stand to steady the innings before he and Heinrich Klaasen tore apart the Bangladesh attack plundering 142 runs from 87 balls.
De Kock duly brought up his third hundred in five matches and went on to topple India’s Virat Kohli as the tournament’s leading scorer.
A double hundred looked on the cards too before de Kock before holed out after a 140-ball blitz that included seven sixes and 15 fours.
His exit brought no relief for Bangladesh though as Klaasen and David Miller, who made 34 not out off 15 balls, continued the mayhem hitting a combined 12 sixes between them.
Klaasen belted 90 off 49 balls and South Africa plundered 144 runs from the last 10 overs to leave Bangladesh with a mountain to climb when they returned.
After six quiet overs, Marco Jansen dented the Bangladesh top order removing Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto with successive deliveries.
The match was effectively over for Bangladesh when they slumped to 42-2 inside 12 overs with skipper Shakib Al Hasan and veteran Mushfiqur Rahim also back in the pavilion.
South Africa were not equally clinical against the Bangladesh tail though.
Mahmudullah hit four sixes and 11 fours in his gritty knock, which merely delayed Bangladesh’s fourth defeat in five matches.
(Reuters)
