| ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, Lucknow |
| South Africa 311-7 (50 overs): De Kock 109 (106), Markram 56 (44); Maxwell 2-34 |
| Australia 177 (40.5 overs): Labuschagne 46 (74); Rabada 3-33 |
| South Africa won by 134 runs |
| Scorecard. Table |
Australia suffered their heaviest World Cup defeat as they were trounced by South Africa in Lucknow.
They were set 312 to win but a miserable batting display saw them bowled out for 177 in 40.5 overs to lose by 134 runs.
It means they have lost their opening two games and four consecutive World Cup matches for the first time.
South Africa posted 311-7, with Quinton de Kock hitting 109 for his second century of the tournament.
He joins compatriot AB de Villiers as the only batter to start a Men’s World Cup with consecutive hundreds.
Australia’s next game is against Sri Lanka on Monday, while South Africa play the Netherlands on Tuesday.
Friday’s World Cup action sees New Zealand, who have won their first two games, face Bangladesh in Chennai.
Confusion reigns but South Africa impress with ball
Australia went into their innings with some momentum after Mitchell Starc finished with a double-wicket maiden, but it was soon lost.
It was a turgid start from Mitchell Marsh and David Warner, with both struggling for any fluency.
Marsh was the first to go, miscuing Marco Jansen to mid-off, before Warner flashed Lungi Ngidi, who bowled with excellent control up front, to point.
There was confusion when Steve Smith was given out lbw on review despite the front-on replay suggesting the ball may have gone on to miss leg stump.
The technology initially just showed the end result of the HawkEye process, leading to bewilderment from Smith and his partner Marnus Labuschagne, before it was later replayed in full to show its accuracy.
Josh Inglis and Glenn Maxwell soon followed Smith, before Marcus Stoinis was dismissed in controversial fashion.
Third umpire Richard Kettleborough deemed the right-hander had gloved Kagiso Rabada down the leg side, but the replays suggested Stoinis’ hand was off the bat when the ball grazed that glove.
Kettleborough’s explanation was that both gloves were touching, but that also did not appear to be the case on the pictures shown.
Marnus Labuschagne made 46, and showed some resistance in a stand of 69 with Starc, but the margin of defeat overtakes their 118-run loss against India in 1983.
It leaves Australia’s campaign in trouble. This is the second World Cup to follow this format and the final qualification spot in 2019 was taken by New Zealand on 11 points.
Bad weather played a part in that campaign, but is unlikely to this time, meaning sides may need 12 points to qualify for the semi-finals. Australia would need to win six of their remaining seven games to reach that mark.
De Kock punishes flat Australia
This was another clinical display from South Africa, five days on from blistering their way to a World Cup record total in their opening-game win over Sri Lanka.
Temba Bavuma’s side came into the tournament under the radar but have been one of the standout sides in the opening two rounds of games.
Their innings was superbly led by De Kock, who cut and drove at will, as he raced to his 19th one-day international ton off 90 balls with a towering pull shot for six.
He was ably supported by Aiden Markram, who capitalised on being dropped on one by Pat Cummins in his follow-through to make 56.
That Cummins drop was one of five by Australia, including one by wicketkeeper Inglis, who came into the side for Alex Carey, as they were surprisingly subdued and flat.
Maxwell was the pick of the bowlers, taking 2-34 from 10 overs, and although Australia improved with the ball as the innings progressed – South Africa were 171-2 after 30 overs and added just 140 in the final 20 – two of those drops came in the penultimate over.
It is a sign of South Africa’s batting ability and power that it felt like they left plenty of runs out there, which is an ominous sign for the other sides in the tournament.
