South Africa climbed to the summit of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup points table following a commanding 190-run victory over New Zealand in a league stage clash at the MCA Stadium. The Proteas' remarkable performance showcased their batting prowess and lethal bowling attack.
In their innings, South Africa amassed a formidable total of 357/4, primarily fueled by a magnificent 200-run partnership between centurions Quinton de Kock, who scored 116, and Rassie van der Dussen, notching up 133. Their brilliance was further bolstered by David Miller's late surge, contributing 53 crucial runs.
The Proteas' dominance extended to their bowling performance, with Marco Jansen's double breakthroughs in the early Powerplay. Gerald Coetzee and Kagiso Rabada continued to apply pressure, taking wickets of their own. Keshav Maharaj's spin wizardry was instrumental as he secured four dismissals, limiting New Zealand to a mere 167 in 35.3 overs.
Chasing a daunting 358, New Zealand aimed to accelerate their run rate but struggled as Devon Conway fell early, caught by Aiden Markram off Jansen's delivery. Despite attempts from Will Young and Rachin Ravindra to push the scoring, Jansen struck again in the ninth over, dismissing Ravindra. Coetzee had Young caught behind, and Rabada sent the Kiwi skipper, Tom Latham, back to the pavilion.
Daryl Mitchell put up a strong fight for New Zealand until Maharaj's brilliance led to his dismissal in the 19th over. The Proteas bowlers kept the pressure intact, causing New Zealand to lose their next four wickets for a mere 43 runs. Glenn Phillips provided some resistance with lusty blows but ultimately succumbed, becoming the sole half-centurion in the Kiwi lineup.
The early stages of the match saw New Zealand's disciplined bowling efforts, led by skipper Temba Bavuma's confident strokes, especially through the cover region. However, Trent Boult managed to dismiss Bavuma. Later, Rassie van der Dussen and Quinton de Kock stepped in to elevate the Proteas' batting display, maintaining a scoring rate above four runs per over.
New Zealand faced adversity as Matt Henry left the field due to a hamstring injury during the 27th over, with James Neesham taking over his duties. De Kock reached his fourth Cricket World Cup century, offering a stunning display of his batting prowess. The Proteas suffered a setback when de Kock was dismissed by Tim Southee in the 40th over, but David Miller's explosive partnership with van der Dussen added 78 quickfire runs.
In the end, South Africa's exceptional batting performance and formidable bowling attack proved too much for New Zealand to handle, securing their position at the top of the World Cup points table.
Brief scores:
South Africa 357/4 ( Quinton de Kock 116, Rassie Van der Dusssen 133; Tim Southee 2-77)
New Zealand 167 all-out in 35.3 overs (Glenn Philips 60, Keshav Maharaj 4-46, Marco Jansen 3-31)
(With agency inputs)
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