Amla and De Kock break records but no sweat for Proteas
South Africa's opening pair cruise to a Bangladesh target that seemed competitive but actually wasn't on a flat pitch.
Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla continue to suggest they’re a perfect pair for the Proteas. Photo: Frikkie Kapp/Gallo Images.
The Proteas kept their collective foot on Bangladesh’s throat when they crushed their visitors by 10 wickets in the opening one-dayer at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley on Sunday.
Bangladesh, who won the toss and opted to bat first, posted what might have seemed a respectable total of 278/7 but in reality it was well short of where they needed to be.
The Proteas only needed 17 runs for victory going into the final 10 overs and with all their wickets still intact they would probably have gone on to make somewhere close to 400 if they had needed to do so.
It was a day of records for Hashim Amla (110 off 112 balls, 8 fours) and Quinton de Kock (168 off 145 balls, 21 fours and 2 sixes) whose final partnership of 282 was the joint sixth highest of all time and only four runs short of the first wicket record.
It goes without saying that it was a South African record for any wicket, beating the 256 by JP Duminy and David Miller against Zimbabwe at the 2015 World Cup.
The previous best South African first wicket record was the 247 of Amla and Rilee Rossouw against the West Indies and it was the fourth instance of the Proteas having an opening partnership of 200 or more.
De Kock joined Amla and Herschelle Gibbs with two innings in excess of 150.
Amla is the leader in this category, having done it for the Proteas on four occasions.
It was a 26th century for Amla and and a 13th for De Kock.
Amla gave a chance on 94 and De Kock one on 159 but by then the horse had well and truly bolted.
It was Amla’s third century in successive matches against Bangladesh.
De Kock, who would have enjoyed the opportunity to play a long innings after hardly getting a chance in the Test match, was named Man of the Match.
It was the Proteas seventh 10-wicket victory in this format and the fourth against Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh innings was built around the century by Mushfiqur Rahim (110 not out 116 balls, 11 fours and 2 sixes) who was unable to field after suffering a hamstring injury, adding to the injuries that have already cost them Tamim Iqbal and Mushtafizur Rahman for today’s match.
With the exception of Kagiso Rabada (4/43) and Dwaine Pretorius (2/48) the Proteas bowling figures did not look that impressive but on a pitch that offered neither seam nor spin that was not altogether unexpected.
Dane Paterson made his Proteas ODI debut but he struggled for consistency.
