Is Quinton the new chief assassin?
LONG BEYOND the originally scheduled 17:45 finish of the third one-day international between South Africa and Sri Lanka, there was a result at a soggy Kingsmead yesterday.
SA comfortably won the match by 72 runs (DLS method), as their total of 331/5 had dictated they would. But, it was the length of time that it took to get to that conclusion that raised eyebrows. The extra hour that is written into the playing conditions in case of rain was employed to find a way to complete a match that looked dead in the Durban water. Those who stayed were rewarded with eight more overs, but it was procedural only.
SA captain Faf du Plessis and coach Ottis Gibson had even taken to the field to discuss matters with officials, as grounds staff scurried to prepare the field for the few overs needed to call it an official match.
Du Plessis explained that it was down to an expectation for rain in Durban to come and stay, so SA were just as surprised when they took the field again at 6:19pm.
The risk of injury, this close to a Cricket World Cup, would certainly have formed part of the SA concern, and it was telling that only the slow bowlers were used after the break. They ticked the boxes required to get the overs in, and then looked to get off the field as soon as possible.
Quinton de Kock’s latest, sparkling contribution was again the headline act on the field, as he blazed a quite beautiful 121, off 108 balls. Had De Kock reined himself in for a few overs, beyond reaching three figures, he may well have threatened the national record in ODI cricket.
That is the plateau that the lefthander is currently operating on, as he builds some incredible momentum towards the showpiece tournament. SA will be hoping that he maintains the magnificent standards that he has hit all summer, across formats, and takes it on to the UK in May.
There is much IPL water to pass under the bridge between now and then but, in the eternal absence of one AB de Villiers, the SA wicketkeeper-batsman has assumed the role of chief assassin.
He lacerated the bowling to all parts, with his full range of strokes almost toying with the bowling. While the sun shone, De Kock made the most delightful hay, thrilling a decent crowd with his century racked up off 89 balls.
He actually looked as if he then got bored beyond his hundred, and got increasingly frustrated with any shot that didn’t come off. He went, caught behind, leaving a lot of meat on the bone.
Rassie van der Dussen didn’t hurt his chances with a sedate 50, while David Miller (41 not out off 46 balls), and Andile Phehlukwayo (38 not out off 15 balls) took the tally beyond 300 and the reach of the visitors.
The chase was always going to be a race against the mounting storm on the horizon. Sri Lanka were met by proper pace from Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, who took a wicket apiece with the new ball.
Then the rain came, and the majority of the 10 000-plus crowd took the early road home. Logic suggested that there would be no further cricket, in what was supposed to be a day match.
Beyond the rain, under the lights, Imran Tahir returned and took two wickets to sit on 99 scalps for SA. He thought that the final ball of the night had given him his 100th, but the review confirmed that his obligatory wrong ‘un was missing the stumps.
It mattered not, and Sri Lanka fell well short of their revised target. The grounds staff must be commended for somehow getting the field ready again, and opening a window for a match to be completed.
The eight overs at the end were hurried, but those who stuck around in the stands saw Kusl Mendis clatter a few sixes, Tahir celebrate, and were then gifted free tickets to the next Dolphins home game.