Bavuma, Markram power Proteas to easy win

A scorching third-wicket partnership of 102 in 69 balls between Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram enabled South Africa to complete a comfortable eight-wicket win for South Africa over the Netherlands in their ODI at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Friday night.

Chasing 190 for victory on a cold, blustery day in Benoni, the pair transformed the innings as they raced through the gears to take their team to victory with a full 20 overs to spare. Bavuma struck eight fours and a six in his unbeaten 90 – his third ODI half-century to go with four hundreds – while Markram raced to 51 (7x4s, 1x6) in just 39 balls, his sixth half-century in the format.

The innings ended with a turbo-charged injection of aggression from the pair after the home team had begun their task relatively conservatively, losing Quinton de Kock early and Rassie van der Dussen for 31. De Kock got a top edge to a sweep off offspinner Aryan Dutt while Van der Dussen spliced a pull off Paul van Meekeren to midwicket.

It was Markram who provided the initial gunpowder to change the tone of the innings while Bavuma quickly responded to his input as the Netherlands’ bowlers received some severe punishment.

The teams meet again in the “Pink” ODI at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday (9.30am) with South Africa needing to win again to give themselves their best chance of automatic qualification for the World Cup in India in October and November.

Earlier, Tabraiz Shamsi and Sisanda Magala shared six wickets as South Africa dismissed the Netherlands for 189 in 46.1 overs after Bavuma had won the toss and inserted the opposition.

Shamsi, whose control was much better than his efforts in the recent series against the West Indies, took 3/25 in his full spell of 10 overs while Magala claimed 3/37 in eight overs. Anrich Nortje was his usual reliable self with 2/24 but the unluckiest bowler of the lot was Marco Jansen, who beat the bat time and again during the first powerplay without any luck as his swing and seam proved too good for the Netherlands’ batters. He was rewarded at the death, however, with the first ball of his second spell as he caught and bowled tailender Fred Klaassen to finish off the innings.

The Netherlands’ innings had begun promisingly with 20-year-old Vikram Singh particularly impressive, pulling three sixes – including two magnificent blows off Kagiso Rabada – in his 45 off 53 balls as he and Max O’Dowd put on 58 for the first wicket.

But with the departure of O’Dowd and Singh, the run rate slowed significantly as wickets fell regularly with only Teja Nidamanuru (48 in 71 balls, including three sixes) taking the attack to the bowlers.

It appeared that the Netherlands, without a number of their top players, hoped to bat through their overs but in the end they were unable to do so as the Proteas’ bowlers shifted to a fuller length and a straighter line as the innings progressed.

Shamsi received excellent assistance from wicketkeeper De Kock who pulled off two lightning stumpings, the first down the legside to get rid of Shariz Ahmed and the second towards the end of the innings to dismiss Paul van Meekeren.

SOUTH AFRICA: Temba Bavuma (capt), Quinton de Kock (wk), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen, Sisanda Magala, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi

NETHERLANDS: Vikram Singh, Max O'Dowd, Musa Ahmed, Wesley Barresi, Scott Edwards, Teja Nidamanuru, Shariz Ahmad, Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Paul van Meekeren, Fred Klaasen