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Impressive Proteas thrash New Zealand

general01 November 2023 16:01| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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Quinton de Kock’s fourth century of the tournament and a double-century partnership with Rassie van der Dussen, who scored his second, helped South Africa thrash New Zealand by a whopping 190 runs in their World Cup group match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Wednesday.

South Africa posted a daunting total of 357-4 before Marco Jansen (3-31) and Keshav Maharaj (4-46) shared seven wickets to dismantle the Blackcaps for a meagre 167, hard-hitting Glenn Phillips top-scoring with 60 and opener Will Young contributing 33.

The victory took South Africa back to the top of the World Cup log, ahead of unbeaten hosts India on net run-rate but having played seven games to India’s six.

The Proteas are now guaranteed a semifinal place even if they lose their final two matches against India and Afghanistan because their net run-rate is so superior to their rivals it would literally require a series of victories and losses in the region of 300+ runs for them to be denied a place in the last four.

De Kock scored a glorious 114 and Van der Dussen added 133 as the Proteas adopted a safety-first approach after being asked to bat first before accelerating through the course of the innings with 202 runs coming from the final 20 overs and 67 from the last five.

De Kock scored at a strike rate of barely 50 during the Power Play but was in complete control as he straight drove veteran Tim Southee and spinner Mitch Santner for straight sixes to kickstart his innings.

Sweet cover-driving, a range of sweeps against the spinners and a series of rasping cuts and pulls against the faster bowlers brought De Kock another ten fours before stepping inside the line against seamer Jimmy Neeshan and pulling him for a third six to bring up his 21st ODI century.

Van der Dussen was similarly careful at the start of his innings as the Proteas stuck to their successful ‘blueprint’ of attacking the final 10 overs with wickets in hand but, instead of making way for Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen, he accelerated deep into the innings to finish with 133 from 118 deliveries with nine fours and five sixes.

Two of those sixes came in successive deliveries from Neesham (5.3-0-69-1) who conceded 20 runs in the 45th over of the innings as the Proteas’ ‘charge’ hit sixth gear.

A knee-high full toss from left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra was dispatched over deep midwicket and a straight drive against offspinner Glenn Phillips comfortably cleared the ropes as Van der Dussen showed that he, too, is capable of the power-hitting which has been on display from Markram, Klaasen and David Miller so far.

Miller was promoted to No 4 when De Kock cut a wide delivery from Trent Boult to backward point and was quickly into his stride with successive sixes against Phillips (7-0-52-0) before being spectacularly caught by Mitchell, stepping over the long off boundary and back again, for 53 from 30 balls with two fours and four sixes.

TWO POWER-PLAY WICKETS FOR JANSEN

Earlier, Temba Bavuma struck seamer Matt Henry for an imperious six over extra cover during his 24 from 28 deliveries before Boult had him well caught, low down at slip by Daryl Mitchell.

It was a disappointing evening for Henry, however, as the Blackcaps suffered yet another injury with the fast bowler limping off with a hamstring strain three balls into his sixth over.

Klaasen made a belated appearance with 17 balls of the innings remaining after Van der Dussen was bowled by a Southee slower ball and wasted no time, pummelling the unfortunate Neesham for yet another straight six before driving him through the covers to finish with 15* from seven balls.

Markram, batting at No 6, was left with just a single delivery to face which he smartly pulled for six.

South Africa replaced spinner Tabraiz Shamsi with fast bowler Kagiso Rabada from the team which beat Pakistan by one-wicket on Friday in Chennai while the Blackcaps gave a first outing of the tournament to veteran swing bowler Southee.

Jansen is making a welcome habit of taking early wickets and claimed two in the Power Play for the third time in the tournament with Devon Conway (2) caught by Markram at second slip and Rachin Ravindra (9) splicing a hook to Gerald Coetzee at fine leg.

Maharaj bowled with typical guile and had Miller to thank for two of his wickets with steepling catches on the long-off boundary.

Of all of South Africa’s six victories in the tournament so far, this may not have been the most eye-catching but it may well have been the most clinical.

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

NEW ZEALAND: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (captain/wkt), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Trent Boult

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