Dazzling De Kock does it again
JOBURG – Dazzling De Kock does it again for the Proteas.
Proteas wicket-keeper batsman, Quinton de Kock, has described his debut as an opener in the second Sunfoil Test match against New Zealand in Centurion as a proud moment in his career.
De Kock, a King Edward VII School (KES) old boy, volunteered to move to the top of the order after Dean Elgar got injured – and batted brilliantly on a tough pitch which assisted seam and swing bowling.
He and Stephen Cook, another KES old boy, put on only the third 100-run opening partnership before lunch for South Africa.
The pair displayed the perfect balancing act of aggression and defence.
Read: No obstacle for Marx
“Opening the batting in Test cricket is an underrated job,” he admitted after the opening day.
“It’s a different level of test – the different skills that you face aren’t the same as opening the batting in one-day and T20 cricket. With the ball moving around a lot it tests out your technique and patience. I learnt a little bit about myself today, which is nice going forward – but I think it’s more [suited to] Dean [Elgar] and Stephen [Cook]. I’ll stay there at six and seven,” he quipped.
De Kock said his innings gave him confidence in his technique and tested him to adapt and restyle his naturally aggressive game plan. “I learnt where to be tight and how to play certain balls,” he said of his 82 off 114 balls, which included 79 dot balls.
Read: Quinton de Kock is sportsman of the year
The 23-year-old wicket-keeper learnt his cricket at KES, which has produced many South African cricket greats including Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie. He also played club cricket at Old Eds where he hit 98 runs off 74 balls to help them win the premier league in 2009.
De Kock’s conversion rate in One Day Internationals (ODI) is also outstanding. In the 55 ODIs he has played, De Kock has passed 50 on 15 occasions, and gone on to three figures 10 times, giving him a 66.6 percent conversion rate.
“… I think it’s the most that I have left the ball in my professional career, to be honest. I’m proud of myself for doing that, I don’t normally do that. It’s nice to know that I can do that.”
Following his 82 in the first innings, De Kock also became the first South African wicket-keeper to score two half-centuries in the same Test. For his sterling contributions, De Kock earned the Man of the Match award after the Proteas beat New Zealand by 204 runs to win the two-match test series.
What do you think of Quinton de Kock’s track record? Tell us by posting on our timeline, North Eastern Tribune or tweet us @NE_Tribune
