A superb century from opener Quinton de Kock helped the Proteas reach 311/7 at the end of their 50 overs in their World Cup clash against Australia at the Lucknow Stadium in Lucknow on Thursday afternoon.
After Australia won the toss and sent the Proteas into bat De Kock hammered his way to a second consecutive century, after doing the same against Sri Lanka over the past weekend, with him eventually out for 109 off 106 balls having struck eight fours and five sixes.
Aiden Markram also followed up his century against Sri Lanka by cracking 56 off 44 balls (7×4, 1×6) as the Proteas set a good platform, but a strong fightback from the Aussie bowlers at the end of the innings limited the damage.
The Proteas innings got off to a steady start as De Kock and Temba Bavuma (35) eased them to 53/0 after 10 overs.
Bavuma received the first of his two lifelines on 19 in the 13th over as he feathered an edge off the bowling of Adam Zampa, only for keeper Josh Inglis to shell the chance behind the stumps.
Bavuma was dropped again on 31 as he tried to pull Marcus Stoinis over deep square leg for six but found sub fielder Sean Abbott on the boundary, but with him going over the rope he tried to throw the ball to David Warner following up in support but threw it over his head.
De Kock brought up his half century with a single at the end of the 16th and a single off his bat in the 18th brought up the Proteas hundred.
Bavuma’s luck finally ran out in the 20th over as he tried to pump Glenn Maxwell back over his head for six, only to toe end the ball to Warner at deep mid-wicket with the score on 108/1.
Rassie van der Dussen (26) joined De Kock and they continued ticking the score along nicely with a 50-run second wicket stand, but just as they were looking to kick on Van Der Dussen cracked Zampa straight down Abbott’s throat at long on in the 29th over.
An action packed 30th over then followed as new man Markram on one popped a slower ball full toss straight back to bowler Pat Cummins, only for him to drop it, while his anguish was compounded by De Kock reaching his century in style by swivel pulling him for six at the end of the over.
In the 35th over Australia finally got the big wicket of De Kock as he made a complete mess of trying to reverse scoop Maxwell, to end up bowled as the ball trickled onto the stumps leaving them on 197/3.
This brought Heinrich Klaasen (29) in to join Markram and they upped the ante a bit with a 66-run fourth wicket partnership off 50 balls as they looked to set the stage for a grand finish.
But having taken the Proteas past the 250 run mark both set batters fell in successive overs as Markram, having reached his half century, guided Cummins straight to Josh Hazelwood at backward point, while Klaasen edged Hazelwood to Inglis as they slipped to 267/5 in the 45th over.
This allowed Australia to stem the flow of runs with a couple of cheap overs, but Marco Jansen, 26 off 22 balls (3×4, 1×6) and David Miller, 17 off 13 (1×4, 1×6) were able to strike a couple of late lusty blows to crucially get them over the 300 run mark.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (capt), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi
Australia: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.