ISLAMABAD: On Thursday, South Africa secured their second World Cup victory by defeating Australia by 134 runs, while the five-time champions suffered back-to-back defeats.
Quinton de Kock led the scoring for the Proteas, achieving 109 runs in their total of 311-7 in 50 overs.
In response, Australia struggled, reaching only 70-6 before abandoning their pursuit of an unlikely victory in an effort to salvage their run-rate. They were eventually dismissed for 177 with 55 balls remaining.
Quinton de Kock secured his second consecutive century at the World Cup during South Africa’s group game against five-time champions Australia. He reached his 19th ODI hundred in the 35th over, off 90 balls with eight fours and five sixes, following his century in South Africa’s opening win over Sri Lanka.
De Kock, who plans to retire from international cricket at the end of the tournament, was playing in familiar surroundings at the Ekana Stadium, where he represents the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL. Off-spinner Glenn Maxwell ended his innings by bowling him out while he attempted a reverse sweep.
At the time of De Kock’s dismissal, South Africa’s score was 197-3, and Aiden Markram took over the batting responsibilities. Markram, who recorded the fastest World Cup century in the win over Sri Lanka, reached 56 and capitalized on a missed chance when Australia’s skipper Pat Cummins dropped him after making just one run.
Australia had a challenging day in the field, dropping South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma twice, first on 19 and then on 32. David Warner, fielding at midwicket, caught Bavuma as his luck ran out, and he had partnered with De Kock to accumulate 108 runs for the first wicket.
After Markram’s dismissal by Cummins, Marco Jansen (26) and David Miller (17) helped South Africa cross the 300-run mark. Nonetheless, Mitchell Starc delivered a double-wicket maiden in the final over, resulting in the dismissals of both Miller and Jansen.
In summary, South Africa posted a total of 311-7, with Quinton de Kock scoring 109 and Aiden Markram contributing 56 against Australia.
