Press Trust of India
Wellington, March 12: Skipper AB de Villiers (99, 82b, 6×4, 4×6; 2/15) led from the front with an all-round show to help South Africa thrash minnows UAE by 146 runs and put the team’s cricket World Cup campaign back on track in their final pool B ODI encounter, here Thursday.
Put into bat first, the Proteas lost the wicket of Hashim Amla in the third over but Quinton De Kock (26) and Rilee Rossouw (43, 49b, 8×4) steadied the ship adding 68 runs for the second wicket. After their dismissals, De Villiers and David Miller (49, 48b, 2×4) stitched together a 108-run stand taking the team total beyond 200.
De Villiers was the aggressor of the two as he seized his opportunity and drove effortlessly towards another World Cup century but was unlucky to miss out on the landmark after being scalped by Kamran Shazad.
Coming in at No. 7, Farhaan Behardien (64 n o, 31b, 5×4, 3×6) provided the exact kick to the tempo for the team to reach the 300 mark. Mohammad Naveed (3/63) was the pick of the UAE bowlers providing wickets at key junctures.
UAE was never in the chase, losing wickets at regular intervals. Only Swapnil Patil (57 n o, 100b, 5×4) and Shaiman Anwar (39, 64b, 5×4) could provide a bit of resistance. The Proteas bowlers were at their best with Vernon Philander (2/34) and Morne Morkel (2/23) causing serious damage to the opposition batting order. The surprise package was however, De Villiers who chipped in with two wickets to make his outing memorable.
South Africa are now second in Pool B, although the results of the Pakistan and West Indies’ games will decide the final standings of the group.
Brief Scores:
South Africa 341 for 6 (AB de Villiers 99, David Miller 49, Rilee Rossouw 43; Mohammad Naveed 3/63) beat UAE 195 in 47.3 overs (Swapnil Patil 57 n o; Vernon Philander 2/34, Morne Morkel 2/23, A B de Villiers 2/15) by 146 runs.
