AUS Vs RSA, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: South Africa Thrash Australia By 134 Runs - As It Happened

Quinton de Kock's second consecutive ton, followed by a three-fer from Kagiso Rabada helped South Africa beat Australia by 134-runs, n the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match in Lucknow. Asked to bat first, South Africa rode on De Kock's century and a 44-ball 56 from Aiden Markram as the Proteas posted 311 in 50 overs. In reply, the Aussie batters did not have a clue to the South African bowling as they were bundled out for 177 in 40.5 overs. The wicketkeeper-batter De Kock was adjudged as Man Of The Match. Get AUS vs SA highlights here. (Scorecard | Match Report | Full Coverage)

9:35pm: AUS - 177 All Out Overs 41-50 Highlights
Australia are all out for 177 as South Africa have comprehensively beaten the Men In Yello at the Ekana Stadium by 134 Runs. It's back again to the drawing board for the five-time champions who looked all over the place with their fielding and batting. For the Proteas, their formidable form continues as they record another win. Quinton de Kock scored another ton and was well complimented by the bowlers.

9:30pm: AUS - 174/8 Overs 31-40 Highlights
Australia lost the wickets of Labuschagne and Starc but skipper Pat Cummins is still hanging on. Australia are on the verge of losing back-to-back matches at the World Cup. Cummins is playing fearless cricket at the crease and will need a miracle if the Kangaroos are to reach the formidable target.

8:45pm: AUS - 135/6 Overs 21-30 Highlights
After losing six wickets, the partnership of Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Starc have held front as they look to chase down the target of 312. With 20 overs remaining, Australia still require 187 runs to win but have just four wickets remaining.

7:59pm: AUS - 80/6 Overs 11-20 Highlights
Despite some resistance from Steve Smith, the South African bowlers made use of the conditions at the Ekana Stadium as they reduced the men from Down Under to 80/6. Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis went cheaply, with the latter out in controversial circumstances. Marnus Labuschagne is still at the crease but is running out of partners.

7:13pm: AUS - 50/3 Overs 1-10 Highlights
After set a target of 312, Australian openers, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh started off on a brisk note, as they saw off the new ball. However, that did not last long, as Proteas' bowlers sent back the openers to the hut before Kagiso Rabada scalped the wicket of Steve Smith to leave the Aussies reeling at 50 for three in 10 overs.

Innings Break!!

Target set for Australia - 312 runs in 300 balls

5:50 pm: SA - 311/7  Overs 41-50 Highlights
Aiden Markram could do the heroics like last time and gets out early, Heinrich Klaasen also follows him. David Miller and Marco Jansen contributed some runs but Australian bowlers managed to keep them around 310. Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins bowled well but have proven expensive. The fielders dropped many catches. They need to keep up with the set standards.

5:00 pm: SA - 232/3  Overs 31-40 Highlights
Spinners got help from what was expected to be a spin-friendly wicket and bowled three good overs. Cummins bowled another expensive over and players looted 11 runs from that. De Kock tried to reverse hit on Maxwell's bowl and lost his wicket after making 109 (106). South Africa reached to 200runs in the 36th over and started to shift gears. Hazlewood goes for an expensive 14-run over. Maxwell finished his spell with figures 10-1-34-2. South Africa managed just 61 runs in the last 10 overs and lost 1 over.

4:15 pm: SA - 171/2  Overs 21-30 Highlights
Australia bowls a few good overs after sending Bavuma back to the pavilion. Maxwell bowls a maiden 22nd over to create pressure on De Kock but he smashes two consecutive sixes off Hazlewood to release all the pressure. Then Rassie also opens his arms and hits fours to different bowlers in consecutive overs. He also completes his 2000 runs in ODIs before Zampa gets him caught out by substitute fielder Sean Abbott. Aiden Markram joins De Kock who completed his 2nd century of the tournament by hitting a six off Cummins. This is his 19th ODI century.

3:35 pm: SA - 108/1  Overs 11-20 Highlights
Temba Bavuma has been very lucky till the 20th over. Aussie fielders were not taking his catches. Finally, Warner takes his catch on Maxwell's bowling to send him off. Quinton de Kock is playing attacking cricket from one side and Bavuma has also punished the bad balls. South Africa just lost a wicket and Rassie van der Dussen, who scored a century in the last match, is on the crease. 

2:55 pm: SA - 53/0  Overs 1-10 Highlights
Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood got swing early in the match but could not capitalise on that as South African batters were going slow and steady for the start. Both have played the opposite of their nature so far but managed to go wicketless in the first powerplay of the game. Spin was introduced in the 7th over as Maxwell found some turn from the pitch. Bavuma also gets a chance as Zampa misjudges a high-top catch at third man.

2:00 pm: South Africa starts batting
Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma come out to open the innings for South Africa and the ball is in Mitchell Stac's hands. Quinton to face. Starc bowls a full bowl with outswing, de Kock leaves. Four runs off the 1st over.

1:30 pm: Toss Update
Australia have won the toss and have opted to field

1:30 pm: Playing XI

Australia (Playing XI): David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(w), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

South Africa (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Temba Bavuma(c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi

Pitch Report:
Dimensions - 63 m and 70 m square boundaries. Straight distance is 76 metres. There are a lot of question marks. It's a refinished surface. The surface grass is patchy. The fresh ball will strike the surface and kiss it. Red soil from Mumbai has that kind of DNA, giving the new ball a little extra bounce and carry. Early on, there's also some wetness on the course. It will not be a high-scoring game. It will go in favour of the bowlers. This surface is going to be difficult.

1:20 pm: Head-to-head
Australia and South Africa have played each other 6 times in the ODI World Cups and Australia have won in 3 of those clashes whereas South Africa have beaten Australia twice. One match was tied.

Matches - 6       Tied - 1

AUS     3  -  2     SA

Squads

Australia: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Sean Abbott, Travis Head, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis.

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Lizaad Williams, Reeza Hendricks, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi.

Australia, the five-time champions, will look to bounce back from their humiliating defeat against India when they take on South Africa in match 10 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 today. The match at Lucknow's Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium starts at 02:00 PM local, and it's expected to be a full 100-over affair. Yes, the Ekana pitch did draw flack during the Indian Premier League for its unsporting nature. But this AUS vs SA match will be played on a relaid top. And in the latest iteration of this storied rivalry, the most dominant side in the history of the Cricket World Cup will start as underdogs. It's a rarity, indeed. But the Proteas, having thrashed Sri Lanka by 102 runs in a run feast, will take the billing -- the favourites tag -- with a sense of caution. Temba Bavuma & Co. sure know the task at hand, and Pat Cummins's men are never to be taken lightly. When it comes to heavyweights, form hardly matters.