Quinton de Kock shines as South Africa stuns Bangladesh

Quinton de Kock showcased his brilliance with a phenomenal knock of 174, marking his third century in this World Cup.

South Africa prevailed over Bangladesh by a commanding 149-run margin in Mumbai on Tuesday. Despite a brief struggle at 36-2 after winning the toss, the Proteas staged a resounding comeback, accumulating 144 runs in the last 10 overs to culminate at 382-5, punctuated by a barrage of boundaries.

Bangladesh, however, never seemed poised to chase down this formidable target and found themselves faltering at 58-5. Their eventual dismissal for 233 was primarily attributed to Mahmudullah's heroic century, scored at a run-a-ball rate.

By the time the 37-year-old veteran Mahmudullah reached his fourth one-day international century in 195 innings, the match had long lost its competitive edge, with no other Bangladesh batsman managing to score more than 22.

South Africa's World Cup campaign remained strong, with four victories in their opening five matches, the sole blemish being a surprising loss to the Netherlands.

On the flip side, Bangladesh's prospects of reaching the semi-finals appeared bleak, as they suffered four defeats in five games, relegating them to the bottom of the 10-team group.

An early double strike had briefly raised hopes of a fourth win in five ODIs against South Africa for Bangladesh. However, Quinton de Kock, the left-handed opener, responded with his third century in five World Cup innings, continuing his impressive performance in what he had previously stated would be his final major one-day tournament. Heinrich Klaasen's rapid 90, following his 109 in South Africa's stunning 229-run victory over reigning champions England, further bolstered the Proteas' position.

In his post-match statement, De Kock admitted, "I am a bit more tired than satisfied," while Klaasen received praise, with De Kock saying, "He has been amazing, I need some of the juice he is having! He has been really special this year, and long may it carry on."Bangladesh's bowling attack, with the absence of the injured Taskin Ahmed, faced significant challenges, with pacemen Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam both conceding 76 runs during their nine-over spells. Even fit-again Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan struggled, returning figures of 1-69 in nine overs.

Shakib lamented, "I thought we bowled well for the first 25 overs, got three wickets, and they were going at five-an-over.

Then they kicked on, I thought Quinton de Kock batted really well, and the way Heinrich Klaasen finished it off, we didn't have any answers to it."South Africa's left-arm quick Marco Jansen made a crucial impact, striking twice in two balls, though Shakib survived the hat-trick. Shakib was dismissed for just one when well caught by wicketkeeper Klaasen, off the debutant Lizaad Williams. Klaasen excelled as he deputized behind the stumps for the cramp-afflicted De Kock.

Bangladesh found themselves in dire straits at 31-3 inside eight overs and soon slumped to 58-5. Mahmudullah's valiant innings, featuring 11 fours and four sixes, delayed the inevitable loss.

Earlier, Aiden Markram, leading South Africa in the absence of the unwell Temba Bavuma, chose to bat first after winning the toss, consistent with their previous strong performance.

South Africa had previously amassed 399-7 when sent in by England. The Proteas faced early setbacks as Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen fell in quick succession. However, Markram's elegant 60 and a partnership of 131 with De Kock helped turn the tide before he was dismissed by Shakib.

De Kock, on the other hand, continued to dominate and came tantalizingly close to becoming the third batsman to score a World Cup double-century before his dismissal by Hasan Mahmud.

His innings comprised 140 balls, 15 fours, and seven sixes, reflecting a blend of finesse and raw power. Klaasen, with eight sixes in his 49-ball innings, ensured there was no respite for Bangladesh before eventually getting out in the final over.