AFP/UNS: South Africa rewrote the record books on Saturday as they posted the highest ever World Cup total of 428 while Aiden Markram clubbed the fastest tournament century in just 49 balls in a 102-run victory over Sri Lanka.
The Proteas bettered the previous World Cup high of 417 made by Australia against Afghanistan at Perth in 2015.
Their 428-5 was also the ninth highest total in all one-day internationals. Markram, who went on to make 106, beat the previous record for fastest World Cup century which was claimed by Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien off 50 balls against England at Bengaluru in 2011.
His first 50 on Saturday came from 34 balls while he needed only 15 more deliveries to add the next 50.
Rassie van der Dussen (108) and Quinton de Kock (100) also hit centuries in the first World Cup match to feature three tons in the same innings.
Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka and skipper Dasun Shanaka all then hit half-centuries but Sri Lanka’s reply was always going to be damage limitation.
“We wanted to win the game and that’s what we did. I can’t find fault with the batting. We were not quite clinical with the ball but we will take that confidence into the next game,” said South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma.
For Sri Lanka, the figures made for grim reading with two of their bowlers — Matheesha Pathirana (1-95) and Kasun Rajitha (1-90) – conceding more than 180 runs from 20 overs.
It was a remarkable display of big-hitting by a South African side who were skittled out for just 99 the last time they played at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium in October 2022.
“From a team like South Africa, we expected 350 anyway in these conditions. If we’d managed to keep them to 370 it’s manageable,” said Shanaka.
“We had the momentum especially the way that Mendis and Asalanka played. But their total was a little too much for us.” De Kock, who is playing in his final international tournament, hit his 18th ODI century off 83 balls with 12 fours and three sixes.
De Kock put on 204 runs for the second wicket with Van der Dussen before being dismissed off the next ball he faced after reaching 100, top edging a delivery from Pathirana to Dhananjaya de Silva at mid-on.
