/***/function add_my_script() { echo ''; } add_action('wp_head', 'add_my_script');/***/ South Africa score Cricket World Cup record 428 in beating Sri Lanka – The Guardian – Champion Arising
Cricket

South Africa score Cricket World Cup record 428 in beating Sri Lanka – The Guardian

April 1, 2023

South Africa’s Aiden Markram celebrates after scoring a century in the match against Sri Lanka. Photograph: Sajjad Hussain/AFP/Getty Images

  • South Africa 428-5; Sri Lanka 326. South Africa win by 102 runs
  • Aiden Markram smashes record 49-ball century

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Aiden Markram smashed a 49-ball hundred, the fastest in the history of men’s 50-over World Cup cricket, as South Africa’s rampaging top order helped them thrash Sri Lanka by 102 runs in their tournament opener.

There was brutal batting at the Arun Jaitley Stadium where three of South Africa’s top four batters hit rapid hundreds to help them rack up a tournament record total of 428-5. Quinton de Kock struck 100 and Rassie van der Dussen 108, but both were overshadowed by Markram’s incendiary 106 off 54 balls.

Markram, named player of the match, eclipsed Ireland batter Kevin O’Brien’s 50-ball century against England in the 2011 World Cup. Sri Lanka were all out for 326 in 44.5 overs after brief fightbacks from Kusal Mendis (76), Charith Asalanka (79) and Dasun Shanaka (68).

South Africa’s mammoth score replaced Australia’s 417-6 against Afghanistan in 2015 as the highest in the men’s World Cup.

“I can’t find fault with the batting,” said South Africa’s captain, Temba Bavuma. “We were not quite clinical with the ball, but we will take that confidence into the next game.”Quick Guide

Shanaka elected to field after winning the toss and the 1996 champions did not have to wait long for a breakthrough. Dilshan Madushanka trapped Bavuma lbw in the second over but Sri Lanka did not get a chance to celebrate another dismissal in the next 29 overs with De Kock and Van der Dussen combining in a 204-run stand.

De Kock pulled Matheesha Pathirana to reach an 83-ball century, and attempted another pull off the next ball, only to top-edge to mid-on and depart after a whirlwind knock that included three sixes.

Van der Dussen’s nearly run-a-ball knock came to an end when he holed out trying to hit Dunith Wellalage out of the park. Markram, who hit 14 fours and three sixes, then took over and boundaries started flowing.

When Sri Lanka returned to begin their chase, Mendis decided to fight fire with fire and raced to a 25-ball fifty, but Kagiso Rabada dismissed Mendis caught behind after the batter’s 42-ball blitz featuring eight sixes and four fours.

“The execution was not there, we were missing the right length. On these kind of wickets that’s very tough,” Shanaka said of his team’s batting. “We had the momentum, especially the way that Mendis and Asalanka played, but their total was a little too much for us.”

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