SA score record total in EL

THE Proteas easily eclipsed the highest one day international total at Buffalo Park on their way to a crushing 200-run victory over Bangladesh, to seal a clean sweep of the series yesterday.

Captain Faf du Plessis was given the man-of-the-match award for a sparkling 91, while Quinton de Kock was named the man-ofthe-series after amassing 287 runs at an average of 143.5.

“We wanted to beat them three nil and be ruthless about the way we did it, and I think we have just done the job that we wanted to do perfectly,” said De Kock.

“We had a few changes in the team for this game and gave a few guys a chance, so it was good to see them respond positively and it just goes to show the amount of depth that we have in this team.”

In an exciting spectacle South Africa scored 369/6, comfortably beating the previous best of 311/7 set against England in 2005.

Young debutant Aiden Markram claimed his maiden ODI half century (66) and wicket in the match, Dane Paterson returned his best international bowling figures of 3/44 and teenager Wiaan Mulder claimed his maiden international wicket on debut.

After Du Plessis won his first toss of the series and elected to bat, the Proteas put in a powerful all-round batting performance to set Bangladesh 370 to win, which proved far too much for the visitors as they fell all out for 169.

South Africa’s innings was built around solid contributions from the top four, followed by some lusty lower-order hitting.

De Kock and Temba Bavuma, in for the rested Hashim Amla, got off to the perfect start, taking the Proteas past 50 in the eighth over and then bringing up their 100run partnership in the 14th.

Disaster struck for Du Plessis with him looking set to reach a century. As he was turning for a second run in the 41st over, with his partnership with Markram on 151, he pulled up and started limping. He retired hurt on 91, and it was revealed he suffered an acute lower back strain.