World Cup 2023 | Quinton de Kock, Rabada Ravage Australia In Big South African Win

A dejected Steve Smith takes a long walk back to the pavilion [AP]

Brief Scores: South Africa: 311-7 (50 overs) [Quinton de Kock: 109 (106), Aiden Markram: 56 (44); Glenn Maxwell 2/34 (10), Mitchell Starc 2/53 (9)] defeated Australia: 177 all out (40.5 overs) [Marnus Labuschagne: 46 (74), Mitchell Starc: 27 (51); Kagiso Rabada 3/33 (8), Keshav Maharaj 2/30 (10)] by 134 runs.

South Africa and Australia made it two-in-two this World Cup with their latest showdown in Lucknow, albeit with contrasting outcomes.

Quinton de Kock lists second successive World Cup ton

Quinton de Kock blasted his second successive World Cup 2023 century as he scorched the Lucknow turf with Australian bowlers through 109 scintillating runs at the top. The dynamic opener formed crucial partnerships with captain Temba Bevuma and fellow in-form batters Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram before he was done-in by an angling Glenn Maxwell delivery.

Markram carried on the excellent work with a tactical half-century, while lower-order contributions from Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen elevated the South African total to a colossal 311-7.

Nearly all Australian bowlers, including Josh Hazelwood and captain Pat Cummins, leaked runs above six an over. Maxwell, however, accounted for Bavuma and de Kock and conceded just 34 runs from his ten overs in the high-scoring innings.

Australia falls flat in listless run-chase response

Six of Australia's top seven batters barely made any contribution with the bat, as their run-chase response was rocked early at 70-6 within the first 18 overs of their innings. Mitchell Marsh, David Warner, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis all failed to get going as they perished against the might of South Africa's pace trio Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada.

Rabada, in particular, inflicted absolute mayhem as his stump-rattling corker to Josh Inglis might well turn out to be the ball of the competition.

Marnus Labuschagne hung around with the tail for a while, but his resistance-fueled 47 barely kept Australia's defeat margin down to 134 runs.

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