New Delhi: South Africa continued their impressive form in the ICC ODI World Cup, as they thrashed Australia by 134 runs in their second match of the tournament. The Proteas team, led by Quinton de Kock, put up a massive total of 311 for 7 in 50 overs and then bowled out the Aussies for 177 in 40.1 overs. With this convincing win, South Africa climbed to the top of the points table, while Australia suffered their second consecutive defeat after losing to India in their opening match.
De Kock’s second ton in a row
South Africa were asked to bat first by Australia, who won the toss and opted to field. The decision backfired, as South Africa’s openers gave them a solid start. Quinton de Kock, who scored a century against India in their first match, repeated his feat against Australia, scoring a magnificent 109 off 106 balls. He hit 8 fours and 5 sixes in his innings and shared a 128-run partnership with Aiden Markram for the second wicket. Markram also played a fluent knock of 54 off 44 balls, hitting 6 fours and 2 sixes.
Australia’s bowling woes
Australia’s bowling attack, which is considered one of the best in the world, was taken to the cleaners by South Africa’s batsmen. None of the bowlers could contain the run flow, as they conceded over six runs per over. Captain Pat Cummins was the most expensive, giving away 71 runs in his 9 overs. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa also leaked 70 runs in his quota of overs. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood managed to pick up some late wickets but still ended up with figures of 60 and 53 runs respectively.
Australia’s batting collapse
Chasing a daunting target of 312, Australia’s batting line-up crumbled under pressure. They lost their top five batsmen within the first 15 overs, with the score reading just 70. The likes of Mitchell Marsh, David Warner, Steve Smith, and Glenn Maxwell failed to make any impact, as they were dismissed for single-digit scores. Marnus Labuschagne and Pat Cummins tried to rebuild the innings, but they could not overcome the huge deficit. Labuschagne was the top scorer for Australia with 46 off 59 balls, while Mitchell Starc and Cummins chipped in with 27 and 22 runs respectively.
South Africa’s superb bowling
South Africa’s bowling unit complemented their batting performance with a superb display of pace and spin. Kagiso Rabada was the pick of the bowlers, taking four wickets for 32 runs in his 10 overs. He was well supported by Lungi Ngidi, who took three wickets for 41 runs in his 8 overs. Anrich Nortje also bowled with pace and accuracy, taking two wickets for 29 runs in his 9 overs. Tabraiz Shamsi was the lone spinner in the attack, and he also chipped in with a wicket for 38 runs in his 10 overs.
The match was a one-sided affair, as South Africa dominated Australia in all departments. South Africa scored 311 for 7 in their allotted overs, thanks to Quinton de Kock’s century and Aiden Markram’s half-century. Australia were bowled out for 177 in reply, losing by a huge margin of 134 runs. Quinton de Kock was adjudged the man of the match for his brilliant knock of 109. South Africa moved to the top of the points table with four points from two matches, while Australia remained at the bottom with zero points from two matches.
