South Africa’s Quinton de Kock’s brilliant 174, combined with Heinrich Klaasen’s rapid 90, propelled the Proteas to register an emphatic win against Bangladesh in Mumbai during a match of the World Cup.
Despite a shaky start at 36-2, South Africa rallied strongly imposing total of 382-5 against Bangladesh. 144 runs off the last 10 overs amidst a barrage of boundaries helped South Africa to set one of the highest totals of the torunament.
Bangladesh, in response, faltered from the beginning, collapsing to 58-5 and struggling to recover. The only silver lining for Bangladesh was Mahmudullah’s valiant effort, a run-a-ball 111, which delayed the inevitable defeat.
De Kock’s innings, comprising 15 fours and seven sixes, showcased a perfect blend of elegant strokeplay and sheer brute force. His remarkable form in the World Cup continued, following his impressive centuries against Sri Lanka and Australia. Klaasen, too, contributed significantly with eight sixes in his explosive 49-ball innings.
Earlier, Aiden Markram, leading South Africa in the absence of regular skipper Temba Bavuma, set the stage with a stylish 60. Despite brief setbacks when Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen fell quickly, Markram’s partnership with De Kock turned the tide, bolstering South Africa’s innings.
Bangladesh, hoping for a win, suffered an early blow when their star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was dismissed early, caught skillfully by wicketkeeper Klaasen off the bowling of World Cup debutant Lizaad Williams.
The absence of injured Taskin Ahmed further weakened Bangladesh’s bowling attack, with pacemen Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam conceding 76 runs each in their nine-over spells.
South Africa’s win further solidified their position in the tournament, marking their fourth victory in five World Cup matches. The only setback for them was an unexpected loss to the Netherlands.
In contrast, Bangladesh found themselves in dire straits, languishing at the bottom of the 10-team group with four defeats in five games.
South Africa’s dominant performance with both bat and ball underscored their World Cup ambitions.
