The Proteas will play Austalia in the World Cup semis: Cricket SA
Cricket World Cup 2023: Proteas in second place after records fall
The Proteas are second-placed in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup standings after thrashing Sri Lanka in their opening match in Delhi.
The Proteas will play Austalia in the World Cup semis: Cricket SA
The Proteas kickstarted their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup campaign in India with a 102-run victory over Sri Lanka to go second on the log. South Africa broke several World Cup records, including the most runs in a match, the highest team total, and the fastest-ever century.
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New Zealand top table: South Africa sit second
The first round of World Cup fixtures is complete. New Zealand sits at the summit, with South Africa in second. Pakistan and Bangladesh make up the other places in the top four.
England and Sri Lanka prop up the table after their heavy defeats to the Kiwis and Proteas. India are fifth after defeating Australia, who are sixth on net run-rate. Afghanistan and the Netherlands are behind in seventh and eighth, with the 2019 World Cup finalists bringing up the rear.
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Records tumble as Proteas batter Sri Lanka in opener
The records tumbled as the Proteas thrashed Sri Lanka. South Africa posted 428/5, the tournament’s highest-ever score after centuries from Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussan. The previous highest total at a Man’s 50-over Cricket World Cup was 417/6 by Australia against Afghanistan in Perth in 2015.
Only three countries have reached 400 in World Cups. The Proteas passed 400 runs in an inning for a record third time at the game’s showpiece event. Australia and India have posted 400+ at World Cups once apiece.
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Markram also hit the fastest ton in Cricket World Cup history (49 balls), beating Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien’s 2011 hundred versus England by one delivery (50 balls). Sri Lanka was bowled out for 326, making this game the highest-scoring 50-over match in World Cups (754 runs).
Proteas’ trio create more history as records tumble
The records continued to tumble. Markram, De Kock, and Van Der Dussan’s hat-trick of centuries equalled the most in an innings of a World Cup cricket match. It is only the fourth time this has happened, following the Proteas twice in 2015 and England once in 2019. Unsurprisingly, this ODI had the most boundaries struck in a World Cup fixture.
Markram departed for 106 from 54 with three sixes and 14 fours and a strike-rate of 196. De Kock’s quick-fire hundred came off 84 balls before getting out for 100. Van Der Dussan scored more conservatively, contributing 108 from 110 balls.
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