Continuing their dismal performance in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023, defending champions England lost to South Africa today in Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium. South Africa defeated England by 229 runs in just 22 overs, handing England their biggest defeat in One Day cricket and World Cup.
England won the toss and elected to bowl first.
The Proteas put up a gigantic score of 399 runs on the scoreboard on the back of brilliant innings from Henrich Klassen, Reeza Hendricks and Marco Jansen. Klaasen scored a total of 109 runs off 67 balls, including 12 fours and four sixes. Meanwhile, Marco Jansen played an unbeaten innings, scoring 75 runs off 42 balls.
South Africa started off with a minor hiccup as their opener Quinton de Kock was taken out in the first over after having scored just 4 runs. However, post that Reeze Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen put up a strong partnership and both scored half-centuries before Adil Rashid removed Van der Dussen for 60, and then Hendricks for 85. Both Hendricks and Dussen gave their team the start they were looking for. Aiden Markram and Klaasen also displayed a good partnership before Markram was taken out for 42.
Klaasen and Marco Jansen walked into history today as they post the highest partnership for sixth wicket in ODIs. They together put up 151 runs on the scoreboard.
England’s most successful bowler for today was Reece Topley with figures of 3 for 88 while Adil Rashid took two wickets for 61 runs in 10 overs.
In their response, England scored just 170 in 22 overs with Gerald Coetzee taking 3/35 in four overs. The team lost their eighth wicket at 100 and played till 170 when they lost their ninth and last wicket. ICC World Cup’s star player Ben Stokes played his first match of the current tournament and failed to score big.
With this, England have now slipped to the ninth position on the points table while South Africa proudly stands in the third position right below New Zealand and India who will be facing each other tomorrow in Dharamsala.