De Kock's record ton seals Lions' win
by Jason Humphries 17 February 2013, 19:07
Quinton de Kock blazed his way to a record-breaking century as the bizhub Highveld Lions stormed to a nine-wicket win over the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras in their RAM SLAM T20 Challenge match at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom on Sunday.
Full Scorecard – Lions v Cape Cobras
De Kock slammed his way to a superb 126 not out off a mere 69 balls while his knock included 13 fours and six sixes as the Lions, chasing the Cobras’ 183 for five, reached 185 for one with seven balls of their innings remaining.
De Kock’s final score was the highest by a South African in all T20 cricket, beating Richard Levi’s 117 not out scored for the Proteas against New Zealand in Hamilton in February last year.
The 20-year-old De Kock’s innings was also the eighth biggest individual score in all T20 cricket.
The 20-year-old De Kock faced 35 deliveries to reach his fifty but he plundered 76 runs off the next 34 balls that he faced in a wonderful display of power hitting with the left-hander proving to be especially strong on the leg-side throughout his innings.
Fittingly, De Kock ended the match in some style with three consecutive fours off the bowling of veteran paceman Charl Langeveldt.
De Kock and Gulam Bodi had helped themselves to an opening stand of 124 runs off 14.4 overs.
Bodi provided the perfect foil for De Kock’s savage assault as his run-a-ball 40 included five fours before he hoisted a short delivery from off-spinner Dane Piedt to Qaasim Adams at deep midwicket.
The left-handed Bodi departed in the 15th over but De Kock’s assault was not affected and, at the height of his onslaught, he hammered 16 runs off just three balls from off-spinner Justin Ontong when the batsman used the slog-sweep shot to smash 6, 4, 6 with all three boundaries scored over or through midwicket.
Dane Vilas had earlier thumped his way to 63 not out off 45 deliveries with four fours and two sixes to provide the bulk of the Cobras’ runs
Vilas was well supported by opening batsman Levi, who smashed 40 off 25 balls with seven fours while Qaasim Adams weighed in with an aggressive 43 off a mere 22 deliveries.
Left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso was the pick up the Lions’ attack as he claimed 3-31 off four overs after the hosts had won the toss and elected to field.
The Cobras, on the back of Levi’s dashing knock, had raced to 68 for one in the eighth over after the early loss of Stiaan van Zyl (9).
But Phangiso struck a double blow for the hosts with two wickets in two balls when he trapped Levi and former England international Owais Shah (0) leg-before.
Phangiso went on to claim the wicket of Justin Ontong (18), stumped by keeper De Kock, before Vilas and the left-handed Adams plundered 60 runs for the fifth-wicket off just six overs.
Adams, after striking six fours and a six, departed in the last over of the innings when he was dismissed by Pakistani left-arm quick Sohail Tanvir.
TEAMS
BIZHUB HIGHVELD LIONS – Quinton de Kock (wk), Gulam Bodi, Neil McKenzie, Temba Bavuma, Jean Symes (capt), Dwaine Pretorius, Chris Morris, Aaron Phangiso, Sohail Tanvir, Hardus Viljoen, Imran Tanvir.
NASHUA MOBILE CAPE COBRAS – Richard Levi, Stiaan van Zyl, Dane Vilas (wk), Owais Shah, Qaasim Adams, Justin Ontong (capt), Rory Kleinveldt, Johann Louw, Charl Langeveldt, Lizaad Williams.
