South Africa’s Dominant Batting Secures Convincing 149-Run Victory Over Bangladesh
South Africa showcased their formidable batting prowess once again, cruising to a comfortable 149-run victory over Bangladesh in Mumbai on Tuesday (October 24). Quinton de Kock’s exceptional third century in the World Cup, complemented by impressive fifties from Heinrich Klaasen and stand-in captain Aiden Markram, highlighted South Africa’s commanding batting display, resulting in a daunting total.
Bangladesh struggled from the outset in their chase, mirroring the England-South Africa match, which effectively ended long before the official conclusion. At the halfway point, the game was virtually decided, as South Africa’s fast bowlers dismantled Bangladesh under the Wankhede Stadium lights, reducing them to 42/4 within the first 12 overs. Mahmudullah’s century provided some respite, diminishing the margin of defeat, but it still ranked among Bangladesh’s heaviest World Cup losses.
South Africa’s speedsters proved to be a formidable challenge for Bangladesh’s top order, which had shown vulnerability against the new ball in recent times. Given the magnitude of the target, Bangladesh needed a strong start during the PowerPlay, but instead, they found themselves struggling, losing wickets at regular intervals.
Under the evening lights, the Wankhede pitch quickened, and South Africa’s pacers thrived in these conditions, reminiscent of their performance against England. Veterans Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim couldn’t halt the slide as wickets tumbled consistently. With the score at 81/6, the only question was how many runs South Africa would win by. Mahmudullah guided the tail skillfully, reducing the deficit, although it didn’t significantly impact Bangladesh’s cause. He started slowly but found his rhythm, striking the ball cleanly all over the ground. His only blemish came after reaching fifty when Lizaad Williams dropped a catch at mid-off off Marco Jansen.
Mahmudullah received valuable support from the lower order, adding another World Cup century to his credentials. However, it was the lone bright spot in another forgettable game for Bangladesh. They had initially gained an advantage by dismissing Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen early on, but the excellent form of South Africa’s batting unit meant that one partnership was sufficient to get them back on track. De Kock provided that partnership, producing the second-highest World Cup score by a South African batsman and setting the foundation for the explosive finishers.
Markram had a shaky start but quickly joined the party, showcasing his trademark off-side strokes. His elegant strokeplay complemented De Kock’s aggression, and by the time Markram departed, the stage was set for Klaasen. Despite his monumental innings against England at the same venue, Klaasen showed no signs of slowing down and continued to assert his reputation as one of the game’s most feared finishers. None of the Bangladesh bowlers were spared, and he narrowly missed out on consecutive World Cup centuries.
South Africa’s late onslaught saw them amass 144 runs in the final ten overs, a display reminiscent of their previous game against England. After De Kock and Klaasen had unleashed their full power in the slog overs, David Miller played a useful cameo to push the score beyond Bangladesh’s reach. It would have required a miracle for Shakib’s team to make a game of it from that point, but their top-order failure meant that only a delay in the inevitable was possible.
Brief Scores: South Africa 382/5 in 50 overs (Quinton de Kock 174, Heinrich Klaasen 90, Aiden Markram 60; Hasan Mahmud 2-67) beat Bangladesh 233 in 46.4 overs (Mahmudullah 111; Gerald Coetzee 3-62, Marco Jansen 2-39, Kagiso Rabada 2-42) by 149 runs.
