Quinton de Kock scores fourth century at Cricket World Cup
PUNE, India –
Quinton de Kock scored his fourth hundred at the Cricket World Cup and teammate Rassie van der Dussen hit 133 off 118 balls as South Africa handed New Zealand a heavy 190-run defeat on Wednesday.
De Kock scored 114 runs off 116 deliveries, including 10 fours and three sixes, as South Africa reached an imposing 357-4 after being asked to bat first. He also had hundreds against Sri Lanka, Australia and Bangladesh, and now has the most runs scored in the tournament with 545 in seven matches.
In reply, New Zealand crashed to 167 all out in 35.3 overs, with Marco Jansen taking 3-31 in eight overs. Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj finished with 4-46 in nine overs.
The massive defeat means New Zealand is now fourth in the points’ table, level on eight points with Australia but trailing on net run-rate as it went from 1.232 to 0.484. South Africa moved to the top, level on India with 12 points but ahead on run-rate. It is now one win away from confirming its semifinal spot.
De Kock became the first South African batter to score 500 runs in a World Cup, and set a record for the most runs scored by a wicket-keeper batter in any World Cup, going past Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara (541 runs in 2015).
De Kock also equaled Sangakkara’s four hundreds in the 2015 tournament. India’s Rohit Sharma has the record of five centuries in 2019.
He put on 200 runs for the second wicket with van der Dussen, who scored his second hundred of the tournament.
South Africa got off to a sedate start as de Kock and Temba Bavuma added 38 runs for the first wicket, before the skipper was out caught for 24 runs.
In a power-packed batting lineup, it was Bavuma’s fifth sub-50 score in five matches. Trent Boult (1-49) dismissed him.
De Kock and van der Dussen then came together in the ninth over and weren’t parted until the 40th over as the duo added 50 runs off 60 balls and then 100 off 111.
De Kock reached 50 off 62 deliveries and then accelerated, with the second 50 coming off 41 balls.
Overall, it was his 21st ODI century. Meanwhile, van der Dussen reached 50 off 61 balls, and then brought up his hundred off 101 balls.
Once past 176, it was the highest partnership for South Africa against New Zealand for any ODI wicket.
De Kock finally was out caught trying to force the pace, but David Miller came to the crease and smacked 53 off 30 balls, including two fours and four sixes.
Miller put on 78 off only 43 balls with van der Dussen as South Africa raced past 300 with its now familiar batting charge in the death overs.
Van der Dussen did his part, too, scoring 33 off the last 17 balls faced, hitting nine fours and five sixes in all. Southee bowled him in the 48th over, finishing with 2-77.
Van der Dussen was named player of the match ahead of De Kock.
“It was hard work for us today and he (Quinton) guided me. We batted together quite nicely,” van der Dussen said. “The pitch got better when the ball went softer — luckily it worked out for us. We were talking about 300-320 and pleased we got over the line by a good margin.”
Miller added 35 off 16 balls with Heinrich Klaasen (15 not out) as South Africa crossed 350 for the fourth time in this tournament.
Faced with Jansen’s new ball skills, New Zealand’s innings never really took off. He had Devon Conway caught at slip for two runs and then in-form Rachin Ravindra was out caught at fine leg for nine.
The Black Caps were down to 45-2 in the ninth over and the collapse was yet to come.
Gerald Coetzee (2-41) had Will Young caught behind for 33, and Kagiso Rabada (1-16) sent back stand-in skipper Tom Latham for four as the scorecard read 67-4 after 15.2 overs.
When Daryl Mitchell was out caught off Keshav Maharaj for 24 runs, the writing was on the wall at 90-5 in the 19th.
While Jansen’s initial burst prevented New Zealand’s chase from taking off, Maharaj ran through the middle and lower order.
New Zealand also sustained new injury concerns as Matt Henry suffered a right hamstring issue while bowling and went off as early as the sixth over.
James Neesham, who finished Henry’s quota of overs, was also struck on his right wrist while bowling and batted at No. 9. Maharaj bowled him for an eight-ball duck with huge turn. He had also bowled Mitchell Santner for seven.
Glenn Phillips scored 60 off 50 balls, with four sixes, and helped reduce the margin of defeat below 200.
Pacer Lockie Ferguson missed the game after failing to recover from an Achilles’ issue. South Africa had brought in Rabada for spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.
