Markram stars as SA hit highest World Cup total of 428

New Delhi: South Africa rode on centuries from Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram to thrash Sri Lanka by 102 runs in a World Cup match here on Saturday.
Put into bat, the Proteas batters toyed with the Sri Lankan bowlers with Van der Dussen (108 off 110 balls), Markram (106 off 54) and De Kock (100 off 84) smashing quick-fire centuries to lift the side to a commanding total, which was also the highest by a team in the World Cup.
Dilshan Madushanka (2/86) picked up two wickets for Sri Lanka.
Chasing, Charith Asalanka (79 off 65), Kusal Mendis (76 off 42) and skipper Dasun Shanaka (68 off 62) played good knocks but it was not enough.
Gerald Coetzee (3/68) was the pick of the bowlers for South Africa.
Brief Scores: South Africa: 428 for 5 in 50 overs (Rassie van der Dussen 108, Aiden Markram 106, Quinton de Kock 100; Dilshan Madushanaka 2/86).
Sri Lanka: 326 all out (Charith Asalanka 79, Kusal Mendis 76, Dasun Shanaka 68; Gerald Coetzee 3/68).
Meanwhile, South Africa rewrote the record books on Saturday as they posted the highest ever World Cup total of 428 while Aiden Markram clubbed the fastest tournament century in just 49 balls against a shell-shocked Sri Lanka.
The Proteas bettered the previous World Cup best of 417 made by Australia against Afghanistan at Perth in 2015.
Their 428-5 was also the ninth highest total in all one-day internationals.
Markram, who went on to make 106, beat the previous record for fastest World Cup century which was claimed by Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien off 50 balls against England at Bengaluru in 2011.
Rassie van der Dussen (108) and Quinton de Kock (100) also hit centuries in the first World Cup match to feature three tons in the same innings.
“It was a perfect day for for us with the bat. We had to work hard up front up against the swinging ball and then well into the middle overs,” said Van der Dussen.
“We have a blueprint to set it up for the guys in the middle order. Aiden Markram when he plays like that is incredible to watch.” For Sri Lanka, the figures made for grim reading with two of their bowlers — Matheesha Pathirana (1-95) and Kasun Rajitha (1-90) – conceding more than 180 runs from 20 overs.
It was a remarkable display of big-hitting by a South African side who were skittled out for just 99 the last time they played at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium in October 2022.
Markram gave Sri Lanka no respite, racing to his half-century from 34 balls before he and Heinrich Klaasen (32) took the Proteas past the 350 mark in the 44th over.
Markram’s century featured 14 fours and three sixes.
He plundered 18 off one over from Pathirana, the young sling-action fast bowler hailed as the likely World Cup “X Factor” 24 hours earlier by Sri Lanka coach Chris Silverwood.
Markram was eventually dismissed when he skied another piledriver to Rajitha in the deep off Mandushanka.
PTI/Agencies

KR Desk