Three Proteas batters score tons to hand Lanka mammoth target of 429; South Africa down Sri Lanka for opening win

NEW DELHI: South Africa got off to a flying start at the ICC World Cup with a 102-run win over South Africa in their opening match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday.

Chasing a record 429 for victory, Sri Lanka lost wickets at regular intervals even as Kusal Mendis (76 off 42) scored a quickfire innings. Among others who try to keep the Lankans in the hunt were Charith Asalanka who top-scored with 79. Captain Dasun Shanaka also clobbered the Proteas bowling to smash 68 off 62. But in the end the target was too big to chase down and they were all out for 326 in 44.5 overs.

Earlier, Aiden Markram smashed the fastest World Cup century off just 49 balls, while Quinton De Kock and Rassie van der Dussen also made punishing hundreds as South Africa sounded early warning with a mammoth 428/5.

De Kock (100 off 84 balls), Dussen (108 off 110 balls) and Markram (106 off 54 balls) went on a rampage to power South Africa past the highest World Cup total ever -- Australia's 417/7 against Afghanistan in the 2015 edi-tion.

After De Kock and Van der Dussen set the platform for a massive score with their second-wicket stand with 204 runs, Markram applied a brutal coup de grace to pulverise Sri Lanka.

A total of 39 fours and eight sixes came collectively from the Proteas trio.

Heinrich Klaasen hit another three fours and a six for his 20-ball 32 and David Miller clobbered three fours and two sixes for his unbeaten 21-ball 39. Agencies

SCOREBOARD

SOUTH AFRICA:

Quinton de Kock c de Silva b Pathirana 100

*Temba Bavuma lbw b Madushanka 8

Rassie van der Dussenc Samarawickrama b Wellalage 108

Aiden Markram c Rajitha b Madushanka 106

Heinrich Klaasen c Shanaka b Rajitha 32

David Miller not out 39

Marco Jansen not out 12

Extras: 23: Total: 428-5 (50)

FOW: Bavuma (10-1, 1.4), de Kock (214-2, 30.4), Dussen (264-3, 37.1), Klaasen (342-4, 43.1), Markram (383-5, 47.1)

Bowling:

Kasun Rajitha 10 1 90 1

Dilshan Madushanka 10 0 86 2

*Dasun Shanaka 6 0 36 0

Dhananjaya de Silva 4 0 39 0

Matheesha Pathirana 10 0 95 1

Dunith Wellalage 10 0 81 1

SRI LANKA:

Pathum Nissanka b Jansen 0

Kusal Perera b Jansen 7

Kusal Mendis c Klaasen b Rabada 76

Sadeera Samarawickrama c Jansen b Coetzee 23

Charith Asalanka c (sub) Hendricks b Ngidi 79

Dhananjaya de Silva cPhehlukwayo b Maharaj 11

*Dasun Shanaka b Maharaj 68

Dunith Wellalage c Klaasen b Coetzee 0

Kasun Rajitha c Markram b Coetzee 33

Matheesha Pathirana b Rabada 5

Dilshan Madushanka not out 4

Extras: 20 : Total: 326-10 (44.5)

FOW:Nissanka (1-1, 1.1), Perera (67-2, 7.5), Mendis (109-3, 12.4), Samarawickrama (111-4, 13.2), de Silva (150-5, 20.1), Asalanka (231-6, 32), Wellalage (232-7, 32.2), Shanaka (291-8, 39.4), Rajitha (322-9, 43.4), Pathirana (326-10, 44.5)

Bowling:

Lungi Ngidi 8 1 49 1

Marco Jansen 10 0 92 2

Kagiso Rabada 7.5 0 50 2

Keshav Maharaj 10 0 62 2

Gerald Coetzee 9 0 68 3

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