JOHANNESBURG, October 15 (ANA) – The Proteas were too good for Bangladesh’s as they crushed the visitors by 10 wickets in the opening One Day International at the Diamond Oval, in Kimberley, on Sunday.
Bangladesh, who won the toss and batted first, posted what might have seemed a respectable total of 278/7 but in reality it was well short of competitive.
It was a day of records for Hashim Amla (110 off 112 balls, 8 fours) and Quinton de Kock (168 off 145 balls, 21 fours and 2 sixes) whose final partnership of 282 was the joint sixth-highest of all time and only four runs short of the first wicket record.
It was a South African record for any wicket, beating the 256 by JP Duminy and David Miller against Zimbabwe at the 2015 World Cup. The previous best South African first wicket record was the 247 of Amla and Rilee Rossouw against the West Indies and it was the fourth instance of the Proteas having an opening partnership of 200 or more.
De Kock joined Amla and Herschelle Gibbs with two innings in excess of 150. Amla is the leader in this category, having done it for the Proteas on four occasions.
It was a 26th century for Amla and and a 13th for De Kock.
It was Amla’s third century in successive matches against Bangladesh.
De Kock, who would have enjoyed the opportunity to play a long innings after hardly getting a chance in the Test match, was named Man of the Match.
It was the Proteas seventh 10-wicket victory in this format and the fourth against Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh innings was built around the century by Mushfiqur Rahim (110 not out 116 balls, 11 fours and 2 sixes) who was unable to field after suffering a hamstring injury, adding to the injuries that have already cost them Tamim Iqbal and Mushtafizur Rahman for Sunday’s match.
With the exception of Kagiso Rabada (4/43) and Dwaine Pretorius (2/48) the Proteas bowling figures did not look that impressive, but on a pitch that offered neither seam nor spin that was not altogether unexpected.
Dane Paterson (0/69) made his Proteas ODI debut, becoming the 121st player to make his debut in this format.
The second game in the three-match series takes place at Boland Park on Wednesday – African News Agency (ANA),
