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South African captain Aiden Markram slammed the fastest half-century by a Proteas batter in T20 World Cup history, while opener and wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock became the first SA batter to reach the 3,000 T20I runs mark during their side's win over New Zealand on Saturday.
South Africa solidified their case for Super Eight, outclassing the Kiwis by seven wickets in a successful chase of 176 runs at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday. Proteas won the toss and opted to bowl first. They reduced NZ to 64/4, despite opener Finn Allen (31 in 17 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) firing runs. Mark Chapman (48 in 26 balls, with six fours and two sixes) and Daryl Mitchell (32 in 24 balls, with two fours and a six) put on a 74-run stand, while James Neesham (23* in 15 balls, with three fours) played a fiery cameo to power Kiwis to 175/7, with Marco Jansen (4/40 in four overs) being the pick of the bowlers for Proteas. During the run-chase, Markram and Quinton de Kock fired right from ball one, putting up a stand of 62 runs in 4.4 overs, untill QDK (20 in 14 balls, with three fours) and a six was dismissed. The wicketkeeper-batter did more than enough to complete 3,000 T20I runs, having made 3,018 runs in 105 matches and 104 innings at an average of 31.76, with a strike rate of 142.42, with two centuries and 19 fifties and a best score of 115. Markram went on to crack a 19-ball fifty, smashing the ball brutally as ever and looking silky smooth while driving the ball. His fifty outclassed QDK's 21-ball effort against England at the Wankhede in 2016. The Proteas skipper stayed unbeaten at 86* in 44 balls, with eight fours and four sixes, with Ryan Rickelton (21 in 11 balls, with two fours and a six), Dewald Brevis (21 in 17 balls, with a four and six) and David Miller (24* in 17 balls, with a four and a six) playing cameos to chase down the total in 17.1 overs. (ANI)
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