South Africa opener Quinton de Kock lost his wicket in an unfortunate manner during the T20 World Cup 2024 match against the Netherlands in New York on Saturday (June 8). The left-hander was run out for a diamond duck after a miscommunication with his opening partner Reeza Hendricks.
Quinton de Kock’s unfortunate run-out
The dismissal occurred on the very first ball of South Africa’s run-chase. Vivian Kingma bowled a full-length delivery down the leg side. Hendricks, attempting to guide it down the leg side, failed to make contact as the ball hit his pad and rolled towards short fine leg. Hendricks initially set off for a run before deciding against it.
Meanwhile, de Kock had already committed to the run and found himself stranded more than halfway down the pitch. Paul van Meekeren quickly threw the ball back to the bowler’s end, where Max O’Dowd collected it and dislodged the bails in a flash, sending de Kock back to the pavilion without facing a single ball. This was a stark contrast to his previous game against Sri Lanka, where he scored 20 runs off 27 deliveries.
Here’s the video:
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David Miller’s match-winning knock for South Africa
South Africa’s innings did not improve immediately after de Kock’s departure. Captain Aiden Markram also fell cheaply for a three-ball duck, and both Hendricks and Heinrich Klaasen were dismissed for single-digit scores. Despite the early setbacks, David Miller played a fighting knock and smashed a century, ultimately guiding South Africa to a narrow victory in this low-scoring encounter. Miller’s heroic effort ensured that the Proteas won by four wickets, navigating through a precarious situation to secure the win.
Netherlands’ innings: Sybrand Engelbrecht stands tall
Earlier, after being asked to bat first, the Netherlands struggled to build a substantial total, finishing their innings at 103/9 in 20 overs. The top order failed to deliver significant contributions, but Sybrand Engelbrecht stood tall amidst the collapse, scoring 40 off 45 balls, including a six and two boundaries. Logan van Beek also contributed with a handy 23 off 22 balls, hitting three boundaries. Vikramjit Singh and captain Scott Edwards were the only other batters to reach double digits.
South Africa’s bowlers were exceptional, with Ottniel Baartman leading the attack. Baartman returned with impressive figures of 4/11, while Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje supported him well, taking two wickets each. The disciplined bowling performance restricted the Netherlands to a modest total, setting up a challenging yet achievable target for the Proteas.
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