Image Credit- AP
Try saying that to South Africa. They say that too
much of a good thing has the opposite effect of just the perfect amount. They
may appear to have scored many more runs than necessary to defeat opponents,
including the defending champions England, with victory margins of 102, 134,
229, and 149 runs, but how much is too much? Which is that? In this gluttonous
age of more games, more options, and more of everything, a team that has
historically struggled in the hitting department at World Cups was never going
to opt for less is more.
South Africa has the top three totals at this World
Cup, including the only one over 400, which is also the highest total in
tournament history. Six South Africans have already scored 19 hundreds. South
African Quinton de Kock has scored the most runs thus far and has the highest
individual score.
Since the Sri Lanka game in Delhi, it has been clear
that de Kock appears to have kept his best for last. However, to suggest that
he is simply tossing his bat in his final few innings and hoping for the best
would be a disrespect to a player in sparkling form.
If you look closely, you will notice a more discerning
de Kock who takes a bit longer to settle in before setting the pace. He
controlled the spinners’ length early on at the Wankhede tonight, slowed down
to 31 off 37 balls, and then dominated partnerships with Heinrich Klaasen and
Aiden Markram. In this game, his dismissal of spinners was particularly
noteworthy, especially Shakib Al Hasan, the returning captain of Bangladesh.
Shakib threw 33 balls at De Kock, who scored 46 runs. That is referred to as
“cutting the snake off at the head” in certain publications. This
understanding of the circumstances and opponents is what gives South Africa
such an advantage and distinguishes de Kock’s contributions.
A short look at the statistics explains why they are
regarded as one of the best lineups at this event. Their batting at the death
is a significant factor. Against Sri Lanka, South Africa scored 137 runs in the
final 10 overs, 143 against England, and 144 today. They scored 79 against
Australia, which may not sound great but was more than enough on a slow pitch.
All all, South Africa has a run rate of 12.28 from the 40th over, which is more
than one-and-a-half times their nearest rival, New Zealand, at 8.16 (keep in
mind that South Africa’s loss to the Dutch was limited to 43 overs a side).
I apologise if the ifs and what-ifs made the tone a
little gloomy. That wasn’t the goal of this or South Africa’s
performance against Bangladesh, for that matter. Both were a celebration of
what having too much of a good thing can do for this tournament, and since
there weren’t any games that were close, it’s possible that this is all the
excitement we’ll get for the time being.