The Mercury

Fourth Test century means a lot to De Kock

- STUART HESS stuart.hess@inl.co.za SOUTH AFRICA 262 AND 303 PAKISTAN 185 AND 153/3

DAY 3 OF 5:

QUINTON DE KOCK is not given to shows of extreme exuberance.

Dale Steyn can do a “chainsaw” when he gets a wicket, Kagiso Rabada can let the batsman know he has got him out. De Kock is quieter. Except yesterday, when he let the world know just how he felt about his fourth Test hundred.

There was a yelp of, “YEEAAAHHH!” a big leap, a big fist pump and a hug from one of his closest mates, Rabada, who had earlier, inadverten­tly blocked a single that would have taken him from 99 to 100. It has been two years since a scoreboard in a Test match last flashed 100 next to De Kock’s name. Given his innocently blithe outlook it can appear that De Kock doesn’t think much of landmarks. However his celebratio­n of his century yesterday showed that he did. As did the way he showed his appreciati­on to the crowd after he was dismissed. Yesterday’s innings meant a lot to De Kock. He has made seven half-centuries, and 13 single digit scores in 38 innings between the 101 he scored against Sri Lanka at Newlands in 2017, and yesterday’s 129.

De Kock and Hashim Amla had shared a stand of 102 for the sixth wicket, it had started amidst a raucous atmosphere on Saturday evening, and concluded in front of a more subdued crowd yesterday morning. Neverthele­ss the effect on the match has been profound. SA set Pakistan a target of 381. Although the odd ball is flying past the outside edge, the pitch is still largely playing true and Shan Masood and Imam-ul-Haq registered the tourist’s first 50 partnershi­p for the first wicket of the series.

A spell of high-quality fast bowling from Steyn put a halt to Pakistani optimism when he removed both of them, although Masood seemed perplexed by television replays indicating the ball had found the inside edge of his bat on its way through to De Kock.

Azhar Ali’s miserable tour concluded when he was bombed out by Duanne Olivier and despite some lovely batting from Asad Shafiq and Babar Azam in the last half an hour, the task remains an arduous one if they are to end the series with a consolatio­n win today.

 ?? BACKPAGEPI­X ?? QUINTON DE KOCK acknowledg­es the Wanderers crowd yesterday. |
BACKPAGEPI­X QUINTON DE KOCK acknowledg­es the Wanderers crowd yesterday. |

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