CWC 2023, Australia vs South Africa: Quinton De Kock’s 109, Kagiso Rabada’s 3-33 and Aiden Markram's 54 are top performances. South Africa beat Australia by 134 runs and move top of the points table.
Brief Scores: SA 311/7 (De Kock 109, Markram 56, Maxwell 2/34) beat AUS 177 (Labuschagne 46, Rabada 3/33, Maharaj 2/30) by 134 runs.
Player of the Match: Quinton de Kock (109 runs in 106 balls)
After their high-scoring opening encounter, South Africa locked horns with Australia - who were still reeling from their loss against India - for the 10th game of ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
In six face-offs between these two sides in ODI World Cups, Australia have won three while the Proteas have won two - with one match ending in a tie. Since CWC19, the Proteas have won six out of the eight ODIs against Australia.
Talking point: Australia’s poor fielding
Australia looked unsettled and nervous on the field. They dropped almost six to seven catches, and their fielding apart from it too wasn’t up to the mark. Even the body language of the Aussies suggested something is wrong. They need to improve drastically in this department and that too quickly.
Read More: CWC 2023, IND vs AFG: Rohit scores fastest WC century for India; hosts jump to second spot
Confident South Africa outplayed the Australia side
The re-laid track with red soil looked a bit patchy with a good covering of grass which could offer pace and bounce to the bowlers. The Australia captain, upon winning the toss, opted to bowl first - expecting some seam movement. The South Africa side had dropped Gerald Coetzee for Tabraiz Shamsi, while Australia welcomed Marcus Stoinis and Josh Inglis in the team for this game.
Shouldering on the 108-run opening stand, South Africa made their way to 108/1 in 20 overs before Quinton de Kock’s 109 run knock made them reach 232/3 in 40 overs. The 66-run fourth wicket stand propelled the Proteas over the 300-run-mark, but Mitchell Starc’s 1-run last over restricted them to 311/7 in the allotted 50 overs.
The Australia batters were just not able to find their groove when they came on to the crease. They were reduced to 50/3 in 10 overs before getting to 80/6 in 20 overs. The 69-run seventh wicket stand took them to 143/8 in 35 overs. Finally, they were bundled out for 177 as the Proteas gained victory by a tall margin of 134 runs.
Top three performances from South Africa vs Australia game
De Kock continued his purple patch with 109-run knock
Quinton de Kock had started the CWC23 campaign with a century in the opening game, and he flexed his muscles this time too. He flicked Starc over deep backward square leg for a six before whacking Cummins over mid-wicket for a four. He hooked Cummins over fine leg for a six to celebrate his 51-ball fifty.
De Kock slog swept Adam Zampa for two consecutive boundaries before clubbing Josh Hazlewood for two back-to-back sixes over the fine leg region. The left-hander then put a delivery by Cummins in the square leg stand to notch up his 19th ODI hundred in 90 balls.
He was finally dismissed on 109 in 106 balls, which came with the help of eight boundaries and five sixes, to now have 6385 ODI runs in 147 innings.
Markram provides momentum with 56-run knock
Coming in to bat for the first time after his record-breaking fastest ODI WC century knock, Aiden Markram began his innings with a boundary driven through covers. He also smacked Starc over deep mid-wicket for a six before reverse sweeping Zampa for a boundary.
With three consecutive boundaries against Zampa, Markram reached his eighth ODI fifty in just 41 balls. He now has 59 ODI runs in 51 balls against Zampa, besides one dismissal. Markram ended with 56 runs in 44 balls - with seven boundaries and one six to now have 1827 ODI runs in 54 innings.
Read More: CWC 2023, SA vs SL: Markram scores fastest WC century; top-order blockbuster outing helps SA win
Rabada blew away Australia with 3/33
Kagiso Rabada has been the main weapon in South Africa’s pace attack, and this time he blew away Australia single-handedly. In his very first over after going for two back-to-back boundaries, Rabada trapped Steve Smith (19) before the stumps.
On the first ball of his next over, he broke the stumps of Inglis (5), who was slow in executing his shot. Rabada gave another body blow to the Aussies by sending back Marcus Stoinis (5) - who had a faint edge to the ball going down the leg side. That was the second time in 2023 when Rabada had gotten the better of Stoinis.
Rabada finished with 3/33 in eight overs to now have 149 ODI scalps in 92 innings.
Statistical highlights from Australia vs South Africa, CWC 2023
311/7 is SA’s second highest total against Australia in ODI WCs.
De Kock’s 109 is his second ODI century and his highest score in ODI WCs.
Rassie van der Dussen becomes the joint-second fastest (45 innings) to reach 2000 ODI runs after Hasim Amla (40 innings)
108-run was SA’s second 100+ opening stand against Australia in ODI WCs.
For the fourth time in ODIs, Maxwell has dismissed De Kock, who has an average of 8.8 in the battle.
In his 20 ODI WC innings, Starc has never gone wicketless picking up a total of 52 wickets so far.
The 69-run seventh wicket stand of Labuschagne and Starc was the third-highest seventh wicket partnership for AUS against SA.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Points Table
Points table scenario & what’s to come
With four points, SA flew to the top position with a NRR of +2.360.
New Zealand will take on Bangladesh on October 13 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
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