South Africa continued their winning momentum in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 by defeating five-time champions Australia by 134 runs at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. This is the first time since 1992 that Australia has lost their opening two matches in an ODI World Cup.
The match was a clash of two of the most storied rivals in ODI cricket history, who have produced some of the greatest matches ever, such as the 1999 Edgbaston semi-final and the 2006 Johannesburg thriller. However, this time there was no contest as South Africa outplayed Australia in all departments.
## Quinton de Kock's century sets up South Africa's big total
The match started with Australia winning the toss and opting to field first, hoping to exploit any early movement on the fresh surface. However, their decision backfired as South Africa's openers Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma put on a solid 87-run stand in 15 overs.
De Kock was particularly aggressive, taking on Australia's pace attack with ease. He reached his half-century in just 43 balls and continued to dominate the bowling. He was well supported by Bavuma, who played the anchor role and rotated the strike.
Australia finally got their first breakthrough when Glenn Maxwell dismissed Bavuma for 35 in the 16th over. However, that did not slow down de Kock, who went on to complete his 17th ODI century in 106 balls. He was eventually dismissed for 109 by Pat Cummins in the 28th over, but not before he had set up a platform for South Africa's middle order.
Aiden Markram then took over the charge and played a blistering knock of 56 off 44 balls, hitting seven fours and a six. He added 75 runs with Rassie van der Dussen, who scored a steady 26. Markram fell to Mitchell Starc in the 39th over, but Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller kept the momentum going with some quick runs.
Klaasen scored 29 off 27 balls and Miller scored 17 off 13 balls before both fell in quick succession. However, Marco Jansen provided the finishing touches with a cameo of 26 off 22 balls, hitting three fours and a six. South Africa ended their innings at a formidable 311 for 7 in 50 overs.
Australia's bowling was disappointing, as they failed to contain South Africa's batsmen. Starc was the most expensive bowler, conceding 53 runs in nine overs and taking two wickets. Cummins, Hazlewood and Zampa also picked up one wicket each, but were expensive. Maxwell was the only economical bowler, taking two wickets for 34 runs in his 10 overs.
## Kagiso Rabada leads South Africa's demolition of Australia's batting
Chasing a stiff target of 312, Australia needed a good start from their openers. However, they lost Mitchell Marsh in the fourth over, caught behind off Lungi Ngidi for seven. David Warner and Steve Smith then tried to rebuild the innings, but both fell in quick succession to Marco Jansen.
Warner was caught by de Kock for 13 off 27 balls and Smith was bowled by Jansen for 19 off 16 balls. Australia were reduced to 47 for 3 in the 12th over and never recovered from there.
Marnus Labuschagne showed some resistance with a fighting knock of 46 off 74 balls, but he did not get much support from the other end. Josh Inglis, who replaced Alex Carey as the wicketkeeper-batsman, made only five on his debut. Maxwell and Stoinis also failed to make an impact, scoring three and five respectively.
Australia's lower order tried to delay the inevitable, with Starc scoring 27 off 51 balls and Cummins scoring 22 off 21 balls. However, they were no match for South Africa's bowling attack, which was led by Kagiso Rabada.
Rabada was superb with the ball, taking three wickets for 33 runs in eight overs. He dismissed Labuschagne, Inglis and Starc to break Australia's backbone. He was well supported by Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, who took two wickets each. Maharaj bowled with control and variation, taking the wickets of Maxwell and Stoinis. Shamsi showed his skills as a wrist-spinner, taking the wickets of Cummins and Zampa.
Ngidi and Jansen also chipped in with one wicket each, as Australia were bowled out for 177 in 40.5 overs. South Africa won the match by a huge margin of 134 runs and registered their second consecutive win in the tournament.
## Quinton de Kock named Player of the Match
Quinton de Kock was deservedly named the Player of the Match for his brilliant century that set up South Africa's victory. He scored 109 off 106 balls, hitting eight fours and five sixes. He also kept wickets well and took two catches.
De Kock said that he was happy with his performance and credited his team-mates for their support. He also said that he enjoyed playing against Australia, who are a tough opposition.
"I'm very happy with the way I played today. It was a good wicket to bat on and I just tried to play my natural game. The guys around me batted really well and gave me confidence. It's always nice to score a hundred, especially against Australia, who are a quality team. They always challenge you and bring out the best in you," he said.
## What's next for both teams?
South Africa have moved to the top of the points table with four points from two matches. They have a net run rate of 2.040, which is the second-best in the tournament after New Zealand. They will face Bangladesh in their next match on October 16 in Kolkata.
Australia have slipped to the sixth position with zero points from two matches. They have a net run rate of -0.883, which is the fourth-worst in the tournament after Sri Lanka, Netherlands and Afghanistan. They will face England in their next match on October 18 in Mumbai.
Both teams will be hoping to improve their performances and stay in contention for the semi-finals. The World Cup is still in its early stages and anything can happen in the coming matches.