Quinton De Kock, Rassie Van Der Dussen and Aiden Markram hit centuries to propel South Africa to a 102-run win over Sri Lanka in their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 encounter at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on Saturday.
Reporting from Delhi
The Proteas smashed the highest score in ODI World Cups – 428/5 against Sri Lanka, breaking the previous record of 417/6 set by Australia against Afghanistan during the 2015 ODI World Cup.
Sri Lanka in reply, were bundled out for 326, with Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka scoring 76, 79 and 68, respectively.
Markram scored the fastest century ever (49 balls) in ODI World Cups, breaking Kevin O’Brien’s record of hundred off 50 balls. It is also the first time that 3 batters have scored hundreds in World Cup cricket.
Sri Lanka, having opted to bowl first, had no answers to the Proteas onslaught. With the front-line bowlers – Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana and Dunith Wellalage, only having a combined experience of just over 60 ODIs, the Sri Lankan bowling attack was simply toothless and helpless.
De Kock and Van Der Dussen added 204 runs for the 2nd wicket to lay the platform, but it was Markram’s hundred that stole the limelight and gave the brilliant ending to their innings.
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After losing skipper Temba Bavuma early, De Kock and Van Der Dussen started cautiously, especially in the powerplay as they amassed only 48 runs.
However, in the 11th over, they scored 16 runs off Dhananjaya De Silva, and they did not look behind. In modern-day cricket, teams tend to double the score at the 30th over, and the Proteas did so quite convincingly. South Africa scored 206 for 1 in 30 overs, and soon De Kock reached his first World Cup century in 83 balls. In the very next ball, he mistimed a pull off Pathirana’s bowling.
Van Der Dussen was the next batter to reach triple figures. Playing his 50th ODI, the right-hander reached the milestone in just 103 balls. Wellalage brought the end of Van Der Dussen, who skied one after scoring 108 runs. During the 2nd powerplay from 11th to 40th over, South Africa scored 243 runs at the loss of 2 wickets.
Markram played proper cricketing shots and reached his triple figures with a six. In the last 10 overs, Sri Lanka conceded 137 runs for the loss of 2 wickets. He smashed 26 runs off Pathirana in the 43rd over, the most expensive over of the innings.
What’s interesting was Markram’s first 50 came in 34 balls, and his second 50 came in just 15 balls. Heinrich Klassen, David Miller and Marco Jansen chipped in with fireworks to reach the magical figure 428.
In reply, Pathum Nissanka was castled with a brilliant inswinger by Jansen for a duck. Mendis was given LBW in the very next ball, but thanks to a review, he survived.
Afterwards, Mendis unleashed some brilliant shots, reaching fifty in just 25 balls with 6 sixes and 3 fours. Kusal Perera failed to seize the opportunity, but Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama gave some hope to the visitors with some positive, aggressive batting.
Mendis fell for 76, followed by Samarawickrama’s wicket, as Sri Lanka slumped to 111 for 4. Incidentally, Mendis scored 72 runs in the first powerplay, the highest score by a non-opening batter in ODI history.
Number three Charith Asalanka tried to be positive and accumulated a fine 79 but missed out on his century, which was on offer.
With wickets falling at regular intervals, Shanaka played himself in to regain his form. Whilst the game was long gone, Shanaka scored his first half-century after 17 innings. He scored a 62-ball 68 with 6 fours and 3 sixes.
The pitch had no assistance to the bowlers whatsoever, with Sri Lankan tailender Kasun Rajitha, too scored a few lusty blows towards the end.
The total aggregate of 754 runs scored in the match is the highest in a World Cup match.
A total of 105 boundaries with 74 fours and 31 sixes is also another World Cup record.
Result
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinton de Kock | c Dhananjaya de Silva b Matheesha Pathirana | 100 | 84 | 12 | 3 | 119.05 |
| Temba Bavuma | lbw b Dilshan Madushanka | 8 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 160.00 |
| Rassie van der Dussen | c Sadeera Samarawickrama b Dunith Wellalage | 108 | 110 | 13 | 2 | 98.18 |
| Aiden Markram | c Kasun Rajitha b Dilshan Madushanka | 106 | 54 | 14 | 3 | 196.30 |
| Heinrich Klaasen | c Dasun Shanaka b Kasun Rajitha | 32 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 160.00 |
| David Miller | not out | 39 | 21 | 3 | 2 | 185.71 |
| Marco Jansen | not out | 12 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 171.43 |
| Extras | 23 (b 0 , lb 1 , nb 1, w 21, pen 0) |
| Total | 428/5 (50 Overs, RR: 8.56) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kasun Rajitha | 10 | 1 | 90 | 1 | 9.00 | |
| Dilshan Madushanka | 10 | 0 | 86 | 2 | 8.60 | |
| Dasun Shanaka | 6 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 6.00 | |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | 4 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 9.75 | |
| Matheesha Pathirana | 10 | 0 | 95 | 1 | 9.50 | |
| Dunith Wellalage | 10 | 0 | 81 | 1 | 8.10 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka | b Marco Jansen | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kusal Perera | b Marco Jansen | 7 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 46.67 |
| Kusal Mendis | c Heinrich Klaasen b Kagiso Rabada | 76 | 42 | 4 | 8 | 180.95 |
| Sadeera Samarawickrama | c Marco Jansen b Gerald Coetzee | 23 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 121.05 |
| Charith Asalanka | c Reeza Hendricks b Lungi Ngidi | 79 | 65 | 8 | 4 | 121.54 |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | c Andile Phehlukwayo b Keshav Maharaj | 11 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 78.57 |
| Dasun Shanaka | b Keshav Maharaj | 68 | 62 | 6 | 3 | 109.68 |
| Dunith Wellalage | c Heinrich Klaasen b Gerald Coetzee | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kasun Rajitha | c Aiden Markram b Gerald Coetzee | 33 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 106.45 |
| Matheesha Pathirana | b Kagiso Rabada | 5 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 31.25 |
| Dilshan Madushanka | not out | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 200.00 |
| Extras | 20 (b 0 , lb 5 , nb 1, w 14, pen 0) |
| Total | 326/10 (44.5 Overs, RR: 7.27) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lungi Ngidi | 8 | 1 | 49 | 1 | 6.12 | |
| Marco Jansen | 10 | 0 | 92 | 2 | 9.20 | |
| Kagiso Rabada | 7.5 | 0 | 50 | 2 | 6.67 | |
| Keshav Maharaj | 10 | 0 | 62 | 2 | 6.20 | |
| Gerald Coetzee | 9 | 0 | 68 | 3 | 7.56 | |
Sri Lanka’s next match will be against Pakistan on the 10th of October in Hyderabad.
>> ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 <<
