WC 2023 – Ruthless South Africa Secures Convincing Win; Kangaroos Yet to Win In WC2023

Lucknow, 12th October 2023 – The 10th official match of the ICC Cricket ODI World Cup 2023, featuring South Africa versus Australia, took place today at Ekana Sports City in Lucknow. In a one-sided contest, Australia suffered a humbling defeat, as South Africa emerged victorious by a substantial margin of 134 runs. This loss marks Australia’s second consecutive defeat in the tournament, following their previous defeat to India.

Winning the toss, Australia opted to bowl first. South African openers got off to a strong start, with Quinton de Kock scoring 109 in 116 balls before being bowled out by Glenn Maxwell. Captain Temba Bavuma contributed 35 runs off 55 balls but was dismissed by David Warner caughting him on Glenn Maxwell’s delivery. Aiden Markram played a crucial innings, scoring 56 runs off 44 balls before falling victim to Josh Hazelwood on Captain Pat Cummins’ delivery. Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, and Marco Jansen made modest contributions, resulting in South Africa posting a total of 311 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their allotted 50 overs.

In the bowling department, Australia’s Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc claimed 2 wickets each, while Josh Hazelwood, Pat Cummins, and Adam Zampa secured 1 wicket each.

Chasing a target of 312 runs, the Australian batters struggled to make an impact. Mitchell Marsh, David Warner, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, and Marcus Stoinis failed to deliver significant scores. Marnus Labuschagne showed resilience, scoring 46 runs off 74 balls, but received minimal support. Mitchell Starc and Captain Pat Cummins made late contributions, but it was too little, too late. Australia was eventually bowled out for 177 runs, resulting in a 134-run loss.

For South Africa, pacer Kagiso Rabada was the star performer, claiming three wickets in his 8 overs, conceding only 33 runs. Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, and Tabraiz Shamsi each secured 2 wickets, while Lungi Ngidi took 1 wicket.

Australia’s next match will be against Sri Lanka as they seek their first victory in the tournament, while South Africa will face the Netherlands, aiming to continue their impressive form. Tomorrow in the World Cup tournament, New Zealand will take on Bangladesh at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium.