On Thursday, South Africa secured their second World Cup triumph by defeating Australia with a resounding 134-run victory. In consecutive encounters, Aiden Markram contributed a fifty-five, while Quinton de Kock amassed a hundred, before the bowlers dismantled the five-time champions.
Australia, chasing a target of 312 runs for victory, got off to a disastrous start, losing their first five wickets for just 65 runs. They struggled to counter the impressive performances of Kagiso Rabada (three for 33), Marco Jansen (two for 54), and Keshav Maharaj (two for 30), ultimately collapsing for 177 in 40.5 overs. The lone standout in Australia’s top-order was Marnus Labuschagne, who contributed 46 runs.
Quinton de Kock played a pivotal role in South Africa’s victory with his knock of 109 runs, while Aiden Markram added 56 runs to help the Proteas reach a total of 311 for seven in fifty overs. South Africa, having been given the opportunity to bat first after Australia’s captain Pat Cummins won the toss, started cautiously and capitalized on their fortunes.
De Kock, who continued his impressive form from the previous game against Sri Lanka, scored 106 balls, including eight fours and five sixes.
“Don’t miss out! Grab your free shares of Webull UK today!”
South Africa’s captain, Temba Bavuma, was given two reprieves while scoring 35 runs, as Australia missed opportunities to hold onto difficult catches. Despite this, the Proteas continued to make progress, with Quinton de Kock hitting Josh Hazlewood for two towering sixes in the 23rd over.
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa removed dangerous batsman Rassie van der Dussen for 26 runs. However, De Kock continued to accumulate runs and reached his nineteenth ODI century by smashing a massive six off Cummins, shortly after Cummins had dismissed Markram with just a single run scored.
Maxwell bowled De Kock, narrowly missing the bat, as De Kock attempted a reverse-pull. Cummins also dismissed Markram with a light-touch knock as Australian bowlers started to restrict South Africa’s scoring.
Cummins had the opportunity to claim two more wickets, but Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Starc missed chances in a day with a few fielding lapses. Despite this, South Africa’s total of 311 proved to be more than sufficient.
Cummins expressed his thoughts on Australia’s second loss of the tournament to Sky Sports, saying, “I thought Quinton batted exceptionally well; we were unable to make a breakthrough, but we were quite content with 311 runs from them.” He noted that the pitch appeared conducive to chasing, especially during the night when it became more challenging. “Their bowlers performed exceptionally well, and the ball seemed to move more in the evening. We need to find solutions and regroup to remain competitive in the tournament,” he concluded.
