Quinton de Kock, after going 17 innings without a century, has managed to score his fourth hundred in just seven innings during this World Cup. His centuries are coming in rapid succession.
Even when he was on the verge of completing his fourth century in the World Cup, Quinton de Kock appeared to be hesitant. There was a moment of confusion with Rassie van der Dussen, where he was sent back midway down the pitch, causing him to slow down and walk back to the crease in his early 90s. Luckily, Mitchell Santner’s throw missed, and de Kock’s peripheral vision would have seen the ball pass by. Without wasting a second chance, he capitalized on the next delivery from Jimmy Neesham, playing a blazing pick-up shot over fine leg for a six to reach his century.
De Kock added a couple more boundaries, including a powerful straight drive off Tim Southee, adjusting his position to create space when he anticipated the slower ball. He also slashed at a yorker from Trent Boult for his 10th boundary before being caught by Glenn Phillips off Southee’s bowling, ending his innings at 114 off 116.
He later revealed that he felt uneasy during the early part of his innings, particularly due to Boult’s tricky deliveries. However, messages from the dressing room encouraged him to play through. This signaled a significant vote of confidence, considering the explosive potential of the middle order, which is designated as this tournament’s dynamite, waiting to explode at any moment when summoned. But every time South Africa brought out two chairs and a large umbrella for their batters, Rassie and Quinny, to sit and rest during the drinks break, de Kock understood that the team wanted him to carry on.
Having announced his retirement from ODIs before the World Cup, de Kock expressed that he was trying not to give it away, even though he believed this was the best he had ever batted. South Africa eventually reached a total of 357, with Rassie accelerating to 133 off 118 balls and David Miller contributing 53 off 30 balls in the latter part of the innings. However, it was de Kock’s innings, which contained moments of brilliance despite numerous obstacles, that stood out.
One speculated reason for de Kock’s retirement is the tremendous physical and mental strain of being the anchor of the South African one-day team, a role that is too demanding for someone as laid-back as him. He enjoys fishing and a quieter life, and his appetite for cricket is satisfied by playing T20 franchise cricket, where he is in high demand, such as the Big Bash League. He implied that there are likely many young cricketers who still enjoy one-day cricket, but he finds it exhausting. Yet, he’s here, giving it his all in the World Cup.
A Memorable Farewell For someone who hadn’t scored a single World Cup century in 17 innings, de Kock is making his farewell tour truly remarkable. His focus has been impressive, whether driven by the desire to make a lasting impression in his final tournament or simply the relief of no longer carrying the heavy burden of South African batting. With four centuries to his name, he now holds the record for the most centuries by a South African in a World Cup, second only to Rohit Sharma’s five.
De Kock’s relationship with cricket, a sport he excels in and chose over baseball, may be leaning more towards love this time. He might wake up feeling disinterested and bored with it tomorrow and then proceed to score a fifth century the day after.
He refused to take a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, which made him unpopular. However, his captain, Bavuma, stood by him and shielded him from the backlash, allowing him to stick to his beliefs, no matter how politically insensitive they were. The South African team didn’t abandon him, and he has a strong camaraderie with his teammates. In this World Cup, he is repaying the trust, even though his innings against Pune stuttered at times.
Life and Luck De Kock had some lucky breaks during his innings. Glenn Phillips dropped a difficult chance at backward point when de Kock was facing Tim Southee in the 10th over. Santner came close to getting him caught and bowled. There was even a mandatory concussion check after the ball grazed his helmet. He had several lives in this innings, including a moment when Will Young claimed a catch at backward point when de Kock was on 54, but replays showed that the ball had touched the ground. Destiny seemed to be on his side, and he took full advantage of it.
Bavuma was the one who initially started hitting boundaries, targeting Matt Henry early on. He drove Henry through the covers, cleared the ropes with an inside-out shot, and elegantly clipped off his pads. De Kock, after struggling with Trent Boult’s in-swinging deliveries, opened the face of his bat to guide the ball square of point and get his innings going.
De Kock pulled a short delivery from Southee, ensuring it stayed down, and then unleashed a powerful maximum on the next ball. Southee pitched it further outside off, and de Kock, displaying remarkable timing and power, sent it over the long-on fence.
He reached his 50 with a reverse sweep off Rachin Ravindra, playing it too far for the deep point fielder. De Kock, who had been aggressive against spinners throughout this World Cup, did not spare Glenn Phillips’ slow offspin. Despite Phillips attempting to tie him down, de Kock used his skill to flick the ball over mid-wicket for another four.
Against Southee, he shuffled and managed to place his mistimed glance for a boundary to fine leg. What de Kock did exceptionally well on this day was accumulate singles while searching for boundary opportunities in every over, particularly after Matt Henry’s spell and while Boult was biding his time. New Zealand lacked their pace enforcer in the middle overs, Lockie Ferguson, and de Kock made the most of it.
He exhibited swift improvisations, including a reverse dab off Santner’s quicker delivery, lifting it over the bowler’s head. Despite the low trajectory, the ball went beyond the boundary. De Kock also reached his 50 by reverse sweeping Rachin Ravindra. Although he had targeted spinners for most of his 431 runs before this innings in this World Cup, he continued to attack Glenn Phillips’ slow offspin. Even when Phillips tried to restrict him, de Kock exhibited finesse in flicking the ball over midwicket for another boundary.
In summary, Quinton de Kock, although he may appear reluctant to start in one-day cricket, has transformed into a prolific run-scorer and century-maker in this World Cup, defying expectations.
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