Lucknow: Quinton de Kock showed his class with a second successive hundred while Aiden Markram cashed in on his rich vein of form with a fifty to steer South Africa to 311/7 against Australia in the World Cup here Thursday.
The 30-year-old de Kock, who will retire from the format after the World Cup, oozed confidence as he fetched 109 off 106 balls with the help of eight boundaries and five maximums, while Markram smashed 56 off 44 to help South Africa post the highest ODI total in Lucknow.
De Kock paced his innings well and troubled the Australian bowling attack, which cut a sorry figure, on a difficult Ekana pitch.
The rub of the green also went the Proteas’ way as the Australians were guilty of spilling numerous catches.
Off-spinner Glenn Maxwell (2/34) was their most successful bowler while the others managed to get some wickets at the fag end of the innings.
After a rather sedate start, De Kock, who calls this stadium ‘home’ during the IPL, put a move on things.
He used Mitchell Starc’s pace to flick one over deep backward square leg to get the first six of the match in the fifth over.
Both Temba Bavuma (35) and de Kock skilfully nullified the early threat that the Australian pacers generally pose.
In fact, skipper Pat Cummins was at his wit’s end and kept shuffling between all his bowlers to find a breakthrough.
After playing the role of the sheet anchor with 35 off 55 balls, Bavuma decided to pull the trigger.
He had survived twice before — a top edge which Adam Zampa failed to judge and then when sub Sean Abbott caught the ball on the rope and lost balance. Abbott threw the ball towards a waiting Strac, but his throw was inaccurate.
The South African skipper attempted a sweep but the ball found David Warner.
The back-to-back maximums off Josh Hazlewood over fine leg and the majestic six over midwicket for his hundred were the highlight of de Kock’s innings.
The wicketkeeper-batter eventually fell to a freak dismissal as the ball deflected from the back of his willow into his chest and onto the stumps.
Markram, who was dropped on 1 by Cummins off his own bowling, clobbered seven fours and a six.
PTI