Rampant Rossouw helps seal the deal
Rilee Rossouw hammered a whirlwind century as SA made an emphatic statement in thrashing Bangladesh by 104 runs in their second ICC T20 World Cup clash in Sydney on Thursday.
Bangladesh were always going to be a tricky opponent, but Rossouw’s first-ever ton by a South African at a T20 World Cup, coupled with some highquality bowling, were enough to blast the Tigers into submission.
Left-handed Rossouw smashed 109 off only 56 deliveries in an innings punctuated with seven fours and eight sixes and shared in a tournament-record 163-run secondwicket partnership with Quinton de Kock (63 in 38 balls) as the Proteas posted 205 for five.
In reply, the Tigers never got going and lost wickets at regular intervals, eventually capitulating on 101 inside 17 overs.
Warriors quick bowler Anrich Nortjé finished with four for 10 in 3.3 overs and unorthodox left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi chipped in with 3/20.
“To score a hundred in a winning cause is fantastic,” man-ofthe-match Rossouw said.
“Very chuffed with my performance today, but more important is we got the two points.”
Chasing a massive 206, the Tigers got off to a quick start, racing to 26 for no loss at the end of the second over, but the introduction of Nortje brought the breakthrough, with Soumya Sarkar (15) caught by De Kock behind the stumps, before he rattled the stumps of Najmul Hussain Shanto for nine.
Shamsi then worked his way through the middle order before Nortje bowled Taskin Ahmed for 10 to close out the match.
The Proteas lost captain Temba Bavuma (2) early, caught behind by wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan off Taskin Ahmed.
However, Rossouw, who survived an early review for caught behind, took the team total and his budding partnership with De Kock past the 50-run mark.
A rain interruption brought a brief halt to play, but when they returned 22 minutes later, no overs had been lost.
Rossouw went past 50 as the Proteas reached 91-1 at the halfway mark.
The left-hander hit 18 in Shakib Al Hasan’s first over to take the partnership to 100 at the end of the 11th over.
SA were also awarded five penalty runs after Nurul Hasan was found to have moved from his position before the ball was delivered.
De Kock went to his 50 in just 33 deliveries before Rossouw, who continued to clear the boundary with ease, took the total past 150.
De Kock, on 63, hit seven fours and three sixes, before he was caught by Soumya Sarkar off Afif Hossain with SA on 170-2 in the 15th over before a single took Rossouw to his second T20I century a few overs later.
Shakib picked up two wickets in as many overs when he first had Tristan Stubbs (7) caught by Litton Das at deep midwicket, before claiming the prized wicket of Rossouw in his next over, Das again completing the catch.