De Kock and Rabada deliver as dominant Proteas outclass Australia

The Proteas’ dominance of Australia in the ODI format continued unabated in Lucknow on Thursday where Temba Bavuma’s side secured a 134-run victory in their second match of the Cricket World Cup.

It was South Africa’s 15th win in their past 18 matches against the Australians and the fourth time in a row they have beaten them by more than 100 runs. Having flown under the radar coming into the tournament, South Africa will now be very much in the sights of the other teams. 

This was a victory in which two of the Proteas’ biggest names delivered performances in keeping with their reputations.

Quinton de Kock’s 19th ODI century and his second in a row at this world cup provided the backbone of South Africa's total of 311/7. Kagiso Rabada then delivered a “Test match” style spell with the ball, taking three wickets, including that of Steve Smith, to destroy Australia’s hopes. They were bowled out for 177 in the 41st over.

Having overwhelmed the Sri Lankans with the bat in their opening match last Saturday, this was a much more rounded performance by the Proteas, with the bowling unit producing its best performance of the season. 

Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen were impressive with the new ball, getting it to shape in a manner that surprised the Australian openers.

Normally so aggressive, both David Warner and Mitchell Marsh were made to look passive, and the pressure the South Africans created quickly brought reward. Marsh drove Jansen to Bavuma at mid-off and in the next over Warner, growing increasingly frustrated, slapped Ngidi to Van der Dussen in the covers. 

Then Rabada turned the screws. Smith was fuming when the TV technology showed he was out lbw.

Though Rabada and wicketkeeper De Kock seemed confident about the appeal, the trajectory of the ball with the naked eye suggested it was going down the leg side. Smith, his batting partner Marnus Labuschagne and on-field umpire Joel Wilson also felt that way — until the TV’s ball-tracking technology showed otherwise. 

There was no doubt about Rabada’s next wicket, a peach to Josh Inglis that crashed into his middle and off stumps, leaving the batter in wide-eyed befuddlement. Rabada’s third wicket was more controversial than his first — De Kock took a brilliant diving catch down the leg-side — but TV replays suggested Marcus Stoinis’ bottom hand was off the handle at the time he touched the ball. 

Stoinis was furious as he stomped off the field having been given out by the TV official. In-between those dismissals, Keshav Maharaj caught Glenn Maxwell off his own bowling, a wicket that effectively ended the match as a contest. 

Besides their bowling, which from the seamers was ruthless, the Proteas out-fielded Australia, who again, as was the case in Chennai in their opening match, looked a team devoid of energy. 

De Kock’s hundred was another clinical display that was watchful initially, but one in which the rate at which he scored was always consistent.

Though the pitch in the first innings was not as hard to bat on as it became when South Africa started bowling, it was still two-paced and Bavuma, especially, found it hard to create any rhythm. He scored 35 off 55 balls but, importantly, shared a 108-run partnership for the first wicket, which provided the platform for the innings. 

“It’s our job at the top of the innings to assess conditions, and I thought we did that very well today,” De Kock said afterwards. 

Aiden Markram scored another half-century packed with stunning stroke play but otherwise South Africa didn’t finish off their innings in the same devastating manner they did against Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, De Kock felt the final total was “still above par”. 

The bowlers certainly ensured that was the case. Rabada took 3/33 in eight overs, while both spinners, Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, picked up two wickets apiece. 

The size of the win boosted the net run rate but at this early stage of the tournament it's the increase in confidence that will be most important for the Proteas.