South Africa scored 408 runs for five wickets off their 50 overs at the Sydney cricket ground in Australia against the West Indies in the ICC Cricket World Cup. South Africa’s captain AB de Villiers slammed a record 162 runs not out from 66 balls with 17 fours and eight sixes. Other useful scores came from Fdu Plessis 66 runs from 70 balls, Hamish Amla 65 from 88 balls and RR Rossouw 61 from 39 balls.
PARTNERSHIPS ARE KEY TO BOOSTING TOP SCORES
Hamish Amla and Fdu Plessis did well to put together a partnership of 127 runs for the second wicket. Rossouw and Captain de Villiers scored a partnership of 134. South Africa scored 109 runs in 10 overs increasing the score from 149 for three wickets to 258 for three. In their last 10 overs South Africa added 150 runs at the end of the 50th over.
WEST INDIES BOWLING
Jerome Taylor: 0 for 64 off 8 overs
Jason Holders: 1 for 98 off 10 overs
Darren Sammy: 0 for 50 off 7 overs
Andre Russell: 2 for 74 off 9 overs
Sulieman Benn: 0 for 79 off 10 overs
Chris Gayle: 2 for 21 off 4 overs
WEST INDIES FAILED TO KEEP PRESSURE ON SOUTH AFRICA
At 146 for three wickets in the 30th over the West Indies were in control of this game. Three of South Africa’s premier batsmen were gone but the West Indies failed to capitalize on their dismissal.
Nikita Miller who played against Zimbabwe was replaced by Sulieman Benn for this game. Why is Benn in this World Cup? The South Africans are fully aware of Benn’s limitations. Why can’t the West Indies selectors? I continue to stress the need for Dwayne Smith to be bowling his seamers and also bringing him down the batting order and starting the innings with Denesh Ramdin.
Miller deserves to be playing in this World Cup. This is his opportunity to prove his qualities as a bowler and also as a useful batsman. Benn had his opportunity in South Africa and he failed to show any threat to the him steam. Captain Jason Holder have to surprise the opposing teams with new strategies in the bowling department. After that thrashing from the South Africans a new image must be introduced.
