South Africa’s cricket team is on fire in Mumbai, with another impressive victory, this time a 149-run thrashing of Bangladesh. As they rack up four points from two matches at Wankhede Stadium, let’s dive into some of the remarkable facts that emerged from this remarkable win.
Record-Breaking Victory
South Africa’s colossal 229-run victory over England is the largest margin of victory in terms of runs in the tournament. This victory clearly outshines the second-largest win, which South Africa now shares with their 149-run triumph over Bangladesh. New Zealand achieved the same margin of victory earlier in the tournament, defeating Afghanistan.
Crushing 100+ Run Wins
South Africa’s thumping win against Bangladesh marks their eighth ODI victory by more than 100 runs in 2023, in just 10 matches where they’ve batted first. This achievement ties the all-time record for 100+ run wins in a calendar year, a record previously held by Pakistan in 1999 but accomplished by South Africa in 11 fewer matches. They’ve also secured nine out of ten ODIs when batting first this year.
Bat First, Bat Big
South Africa’s game plan is clear: bat first and bat big. In fact, their match in Mumbai marks the seventh consecutive ODI in which they’ve scored more than 300 runs when batting first, matching the records held by Australia (2007) and England (2019).
Net Run Rate Dominance
South Africa’s crushing victories over England and Bangladesh in Mumbai have given them the best net run rate in the competition. With a current net run rate of +2.370 after five matches, they outshine the competition, with New Zealand coming in second at +1.481.
De Kock’s Outstanding Performance
Quinton de Kock’s remarkable 174 is not only his highest-ever score at an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup but also just four runs short of his best individual effort in an ODI. Only Gary Kirsten has produced a bigger knock for South Africa at a Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Heinrich Klaasen’s Explosive Batting
Among all the recognized batters at the Cricket World Cup, Heinrich Klaasen boasts the highest strike rate. The big-hitting number five is the sixth-highest scorer at the tournament, with 288 runs coming at an impressive rate of 150.78. Only Kusal Mendis and Iftikhar Ahmed come close to matching Klaasen’s hitting prowess.
Explosive Final Overs
South Africa’s blistering performance in the final 10 overs against Bangladesh saw them scoring an astonishing 144 runs. This tally marks the highest score in the final 10 overs of an innings at the tournament, outshining their own previous effort against England by a single run.
Quinton de Kock Tops Run-Scoring Charts
Quinton de Kock’s three centuries have propelled him to the top of the tournament’s run-scoring charts, surpassing Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. De Kock could also become South Africa’s highest individual scorer at an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, with Jacques Kallis’ record of 485 runs in 2007 only 78 runs ahead. With four group stage matches and potentially the knockout stages remaining, de Kock’s record-breaking aspirations seem within reach.
As the cricketing world watches in awe, South Africa’s dominance continues, and they have their sights set on making history at this ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
My Goat Sports 