World Cup 2023: Decoding South Africa's big scores and bigger wins

South Africa have racked up some big scores in the World Cup already. The top three totals at this Cricket World Cup belong to South Africa, including the only one 400 runs, which is the highest tournament total ever. Six of the 19 hundreds at the tournament have been scored by a South Africa player. Quinton de Kock, who is the leading scorer at the World Cup, has three centuries to his tally and best individual score.

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The high scoring has resulted in huge wins. The four wins have been reached with margins of 102, 134, 229 and 149 runs. The 229 run win, over defending champions England, was the biggest victory at the tournament.

The remarkable scoring and ability to restrict opposition is not new. South Africa have won eight ODIs by over 100 runs in 2023 from only 17 matches played. The plan of bat first, bat big and win huge continued at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday. With 382 runs, it marked the seventh time in consecutive ODIs that South Africa have scored more than 300 when batting first.

At the receiving end of this bloodbath were Bangladesh who first had to deal with Quinton de Kock who slammed a 140-ball 174 and then Heinrich Klaasen, who smashed 90 off 49 balls, at the death. South Africa would compile 144 runs in the final 10 overs.

Two aspects are at the heart of South Africa’s big scoring at the World Cup. They have been saving the best for last and keeping wickets in hand to ensure a big total. Against Sri Lanka, South Africa scored 137 runs in the last 10 overs. Against Australia they would score just 79 runs before making an exhausted England look weak with 143 runs from 60 balls. In all, South Africa have scored 526 runs in the last 10 overs from five matches, next best are New Zealand with 268 runs, at a strike rate of 12.28.

Making sure they can freely relax their arms is the fact that they go in with wickets in hand. South Africa had seven wickets in hand going into the last 10 overs against Sri Lanka, Australia and Bangladesh. Versus England they were two wickets further down, having lost Quinton de Kock on the second ball, but had Marco Jansen (75 off 42 balls) and Klaasen (109 off 67 balls) to take them deep.

Quinton de Kock rewrites history #CWC23 | #SAvBAN pic.twitter.com/tFfrlwVaQy

— SuperSport (@SuperSportTV) October 24, 2023

Getting to such massive totals, with big hitting at the death, is made possible with plenty of six hitting. South Africa have struck 32 sixes in the last 10 overs in the five innings. For comparison, New Zealand have 42 sixes and India 35 sixes in their complete five innings. If De Kock has provided the launchpad, it is Klaasen who has ensured flourishes. He struck 67-ball 109 against England and a 49-ball 90 against Bangladesh. Versus England, all four of his sixes came in the last 10 overs. The theme followed at the Wankhede where he sent the leather into the crowd five times (of eight) in the final 60 balls.

No wonder De Kock and Klaasen find themselves in the top-three of six hitters at the World Cup. Both the South Africa batters have 15 sixes each with only Rohit Sharma ahead of them (17).

With these big scores and confidence-inducing win margins, is the strategy clear for batting first? “We haven’t spoken about a blueprint as a unit. We’ve had no definitive roles given, but everyone knows what they need to do to help this batting unit peak at their best,” said stand-in captain Aiden Markram.

Quinton de Kock has set #CWC23 on fire with his scintillating batting #SAvBAN pic.twitter.com/rJXPwSZBw2

— ICC (@ICC) October 24, 2023

“There isn’t necessarily a blueprint, but guys understand how to approach it. We have a big focus on playing conditions and not necessarily situations too much. As a unit, we keep saying to look down at the surface and not up at the scoreboard and play exactly what’s in front of us on the pitch.”

After four wins in five, leaping to second in the points table, one question remains: how will South Africa fare when chasing? In the only example of that at the tournament, they suffered a shocking defeat to Netherlands. It goes hand-in-hand with the table toppers India who have batted second and won all their five matches so far. How will either of the two teams perform when tables are turned remains to be seen.