A sensational 37-ball 83 by Steve Stolk powered South Africa Under-19 into the Super Sixes stages of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 after a thumping seven-wicket win over Scotland at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Saturday.
The right-hander crashed eight sixes and seven fours in an incredible exhibition of batting that saw him reach 50 in a scarcely believable 13 deliveries. It was the quickest half-century in the history of the tournament, smashing the 18-ball record previously held by India’s Rishabh Pant.
Stolk, who plundered spinner Qasim Khan for 34 off one over during that period, was aided expertly by Dewan Marais (80* off 50 balls, 8 fours, 3 sixes) with the pair both pivotal as the junior Proteas chased down a 270 target with 23 overs to spare.
The result meant the hosts won two out of three games in Group B to finish level on four points with both England and West Indies but topped the pool on net run-rate.
And they will now enter the latter stages of the competition oozing with confidence after a real statement win.
However, they may not have been entirely pleased with their display after allowing the Scots to post 269 for nine after they were put in to bat first.
There were two key performances by the tourists, one from captain Owen Gould, who top-scored with 97 (89 balls, 11 fours, 3 sixes), and opener Jamie Dunk after he struck 90 (121 balls, 11 fours).
Riley Norton was the pick of the bowlers with three for 48, but Scotland would have been the happier team heading into the break.
However, all that changed as soon as Stolk and Lhuan-dre Pretorius (22) walked in to bat.
Spearheaded by the former, they reached 50 in just three overs and doubled that score in 7.1 overs as right-handed Stolk went berserk. He clubbed five sixes in that one disastrous over sent down by Qasim, before the partnership finally broke when Pretorius fell on 114.
Stolk soon fell to a standing ovation and was followed by Tristan Luus (14) in quick succession, but another damning knock by Marais proved too much for Scotland.
He put on an unbroken 122 for the fourth wicket with David Teeger (43*) to lead the South Africans to a comfortable win with a whopping 138 balls to spare.