Quinton de Kock on Thursday hit his second successive century at the World Cup as South Africa sent five-time champions Australia crashing to a 134-run defeat.
After the Proteas had made 311-7, Australia lost six wickets with just 70 on the board and then focused solely on attempting to limit the damage to their net run rate.
They were eventually dismissed for 177 with 55 balls to spare.
Photo: AFP
For South Africa, it was a second win in two games, while Australia have lost both of their matches.
“I’d be really greedy if I said there were areas to improve, a near-perfect game with the bat and with the ball,” South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins admitted his team had been “well off the mark.”
“Not much needs to be said tonight, everyone’s hurting,” he said.
Australia, who lost by six wickets to India in their opener, saw five catches dropped when South Africa batted.
Their mood did not improve once they began chasing a 312-run target, losing wickets on a regular basis as South Africa’s fast bowlers ripped through their top order.
Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi sent back openers Mitchell Marsh (7) and David Warner (13), before Kagiso Rabada took three quick wickets.
Rabada had Steve Smith leg before wicket controversially on review for 19, clean-bowled Josh Inglis for 5 and had Marcus Stoinis smartly caught down the leg-side by wicketkeeper De Kock, also for 5.
Australia were unhappy with the decision as Stoinis appeared to have his hand off the bat when the ball brushed his glove on its way to De Kock.
In between, off-spinner Keshav Maharaj claimed Glenn Maxwell off his own bowling as the Australian nicknamed “The Big Show” suffered stage fright and was out for just 3.
With the match virtually lost, Australia went into damage limitation mode, hoping to ease the damage to their run rate with still seven pool matches to play.
At the halfway stage of 25 overs, they had crept to 95-6 before Marnus Labuschagne (46) and Mitchell Starc (27) put on 69 for the seventh wicket.
They fell in the space of seven balls before the innings collapsed with leg-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi wrapping up the tail.
Earlier, 30-year-old De Kock reached his 19th one-day international century off 90 balls with eight fours and five sixes, having also made a century in South Africa’s opening win over Sri Lanka.
De Kock, who is to retire from international cricket at the end of the tournament, was batting in familiar surroundings at Ekana Stadium where he plays in the IPL for the Lucknow Super Giants.
He was eventually dismissed for 109, bowled by off-spinner Maxwell while trying to reverse-sweep in the 35th over.
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