South Africa registered a huge 102-run win over Sri Lanka in their opening match in the ICC World Cup 2023 on Saturday, October 7. Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen recorded brilliant hundreds to help South Africa score the highest ODI World Cup total of 428/5 and then three wickets from Gerald Coetzee bowled out Sri Lanka on just 326 runs.
The Proteas produced arguably their best performance in the ODI World Cup history with a shattering record total. Aiden Markram smashed the fastest World Cup century in just 49 balls and Sri Lanka returned with 326 runs to make it the highest match aggregate in the tournament history.
Dasun Shanaka won the toss and invited South Africa to bat first at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium. The left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka bagged in-form Temba Bavuma's valuable wicket in the second wicket to give Sri Lanka a perfect start. However, the Island nation failed to build up their momentum from Bavuma's early dismissal.
Playing in his last ODI tournament, Quinton de Kock and the experienced batter Rassie van der Dussen added 204 runs for the second wicket to put South Africa in control. Both de Kock and van der Dussen scored brilliant hundreds each to build a perfect base for the lower order to finish the game high.
Aiden Markram smashed 14 fours and three sixes to bring a 49-ball hundred, the fastest in the ODI World Cup history. Markram's storm boosted South Africa past a 400-run mark and then a cameo knock of 39* off 21 balls from David Miller helped the Proteas score the highest total in the tournament list.
Sri Lanka lost their star opener Pathum Nissanka on a duck in the second over but Kusal Mendis smashed a 25-ball fifty to keep Sri Lanka in the favourites category for some time. Kusal smashed 76 off just 42 balls and added 66 runs for the second wicket with Kusal Perera in the first eight overs.
Kagiso Rabada gave South Africa a breakthrough with Kusal's wicket in the 13th over to put South Africa in control of the game. Charith Asalanka and Shanaka also registered big fifties each but Sri Lanka kept losing wickets under the pressure of big chase. Asalanka top-scored with 79 runs and Shanaka contributed 68 runs but Sri Lanka's resistance ended with Matheesha Pathirana's dismissal in the 45th over.
World Cup debutant Gerald Coetzee took three wickets for South Africa to make the biggest impact from a ball. The game produced the highest match aggregate of 754 runs in World Cup history and also witnessed three centuries in one innings for the first time. Markram was crowned with the Player of the Match award for his 106 runs off just 54 balls ahead of de Kock and van der Dussen.
Sri Lanka Playing XI: Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha
South Africa Playing XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada
