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Sensational Markram leads Proteas to stunning World Cup win

cricket07 October 2023 17:36| © MWP
By:Patrick Compton
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Aiden Markram struck the fastest century in ICC World Cup history as the Proteas beat Sri Lanka by 102 runs in their tumultuous opening pool match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Saturday.

South Africa, sent in to bat after losing the toss, pulverised the Sri Lankan attack to record the highest total in World Cup history, 428 for five in their 50 overs.

Markram’s 100 off just 49 balls pipped Kevin O’Brien’s effort against England in 2011 by just one ball when he hooked paceman Dilshan Madushanka for six.

But it wasn’t just Markram who made the difference. There were also superb hundreds from Quinton de Kock (100 in 84 balls, 12x4s, 3x6s) – his first World Cup ton – and Rassie van der Dussen (108 in 110 balls, 13x4s, 2x6s) who combined to put on 204 in 178 balls for the second wicket, setting up the Proteas’ huge total.

It was also the first time in World Cup history that hundreds were scored by three batters in one team.

Add in explosive contributions from Heinrich Klaasen (32 from 20 balls) and David Miller (39* in 21 balls) and you get some idea of the extent of South Africa’s achievement.

But Sri Lanka fired back with ferocity, compiling 326 all out in 44.5 overs in reply, which in other circumstances would have been a match-winning effort. 

It was a tough outing for all the bowlers, with Marcus Jansen, for example, finishing with an eye-popping 2-92 off his 10 overs while World Cup debutant Gerald Coetzee was the most successful, taking 3-68 in nine overs despite being clobbered for 23 in one of them.

The groundstaff should be congratulated on producing a superb one-day surface with an unusually rich covering of grass that enabled the ball to bounce and go through nicely for the bowlers but also helped the batters to hit through the line.

A lightning-fast outfield also helped to ensure that the line between a good and a poor delivery was so small that it was no surprise that so many runs – a total of 754 that included 482 in boundaries, both World Cup records – were scored in the match.

FIRED-UP ASALANKA

In a game where you could barely blink between the sixes and fours, Sri Lanka played a full part in a sensational encounter with Kusal Mendis slamming eight sixes and four fours in a spectacular 42-ball 76 that gave his team an explosive lift-off in their run chase. 

The right-hander powered the Lankans to 94 for two wickets in the first power-play, almost twice as many runs as the South Africans managed.

But quickly as they scored, the Lankans were unable to keep their wickets intact for long.

Jansen bowled two exceptional deliveries to castle Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera early on, while Kagiso Rabada ended the Mendis threat by having him caught behind by Klaasen (deputising for De Kock who was suffering from muscle spasms) edging a square cut.

The extent of Mendis’s dominance can be gauged by the fact that Perera was still on nought after the pair had added 50 for the second wicket, and only seven when he was bowled neck and crop by Jansen after the pair had added 66 in only 40 balls by the eighth over.

Coetzee claimed his first wicket in his opening over, grabbing the wicket of Sadeera Samarawickrama (23), who got a leading edge to be superbly picked up by an onrushing Jansen at mid-on.

And when Keshav Maharaj dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva, nicely caught by sub Andile Phehlukwayo at backward point, the Lankans had lost half their team for 150 in the 21st over.

The frantic pace of the innings cooled a little after that as Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka recognised the need to bat deep without being suicidally aggressive.

Asalanka, making his World Cup debut, rode his luck a little – being dropped twice in the deep – but was otherwise very impressive as he struck a fine 79 in 65 balls (8x4s and 4x6s) as he and Shanaka added a valuable 82 off 72 balls for the sixth wicket.

Eventually, however, the demanding run-rate required one too many aggressive shots and he mistimed a drive to deep cover where substitute fielder Reeza Hendricks dived to complete an excellent catch.

Asalanka’s dismissal seemed to fire up Shanaka who had played second fiddle in the partnership.

Now he flipped the switch and launched into the Proteas’ attack with gusto, taking 23 off a Coetzee over as he reached his half-century in 51 balls.

The hitting continued right through the Sri Lankan innings as they went down bravely fighting to the last ball.

BATTERED, BEMUSED AND BRUTALISED

Earlier, South Africa began their innings briskly, but skipper Temba Bavuma was an early casualty, trapped leg before on the crease to a delivery from left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka that curved back at him.

It would be the last time the Sri Lankan bowlers would experience any joy.

De Kock and Van der Dussen began fairly conservatively after the captain’s dismissal as the Proteas reached 48 for one at the end of the first power-play.

Gradually, however, they increased their scoring rate and by the time De Kock reached his hundred, he and Van der Dussen had added 204 in 174 balls for the second wicket.

Sri Lanka had their opportunities to break the partnership, although they will consider them half-chances, particularly a reverse-sweep from Van der Dussen off left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage that evaded the point fielder.

De Kock holed out immediately after bringing up his hundred (84 balls, 12x4s, 3x6s) before Van der Dussen and Markram went into overdrive as they battered a 50 off 40 balls for the next wicket before Van der Dussen also holed out for a superb 108 in 110 balls (13x4s, 2x6s).

It must have been a depressing experience for the Sri Lankans to watch Heinrich Klaasen come to the crease with the total on 264 for three in only the 38th over and sure enough, the recent destroyer of the Aussie attack didn’t hang about, plundering 32 in just 20 balls as he and Markram pillaged 78 off 36 balls for the fourth wicket.

The Sri Lankan agony didn’t end with Klaasen’s demise as Markram and David Miller added a further 41 in 24 balls for the fifth wicket before Markram, more in exhaustion that anything else, offered a catch in the deep to depart for an exquisite 106 in 54 balls.

Miller, who had initially been more concerned with giving his partner the strike, then enjoyed a late flourish, finishing unbeaten on 39 in 21 balls (3x4s, 2x6s) as a battered, bemused and ultimately brutalised Sri Lanka trooped from the field after bleeding 137 runs from the last 10 overs.

The less said the better about the Sri Lankan bowlers with Wellalaga (1-81 in 10 overs) recording the worst figures on World Cup debut for any Sri Lankan bowler.

But he was not alone as the Lankan bowlers almost all went for eight and nine an over, a fate shared by the SA bowlers as well.

To make matters worse, the Sri Lankans were four overs behind the rate towards the end of the Proteas’ innings and were forced for field five within the circle through to the end of the innings.

A total of 18 wides also did not help their cause.

SOUTH AFRICA: Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (capt), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

SRI LANKA: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (capt), Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana

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