South Africa served up a convincing all-round performance in an emphatic 231-run win over the Netherlands at the World Cup on Thursday.
AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla made centuries in South Africa’s 351-5 and leg-spinner Imran Tahir took three wickets in a predictably dominant showing from the hotly favoured Proteas.
Netherlands was dismissed for 120 in 34.5 overs at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium for successive heavy losses following a 215-run capitulation to West Indies.
Opener Wesley Barresi made 44 but Netherlands fell away rapidly to lose its last six batsmen for 20 runs.
Amla and De Villiers had combined for a 221-run partnership to take the game away from Netherlands after South Africa was put in to bat in overcast conditions.
Amla made 113 and De Villiers powered to 134 from 98 balls, his second successive hundred after scoring 107 not out against West Indies in New Delhi.
The Dutch had removed Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis to leave South Africa on 58-2, but Amla and De Villiers responded with the highest third-wicket partnership for South Africa in one-day internationals.
JP Duminy (40) smashed two fours and four sixes in a rapid 66-run partnership with Faf du Plessis in the final overs.
Ryan ten Doeschate finished with 3-72 to lead Netherlands’ battered bowling attack. Bernard Loots bowled Smith for 20, sending the South Africa captain’s leg stump cart-wheeling out of the ground. Kallis fell three overs later when he was caught down the leg-side by wicketkeeper Wesley Barresi off medium pacer Ten Doeschate.
But De Villiers and Amla took South Africa racing away, hitting boundaries to all parts as the sun came out. De Villiers reached his century off just 88 balls and celebrated by launching three successive sixes off Loots from the first three balls of the 44th over.
There was no repeat of Herschelle Gibbs’ six sixes in an over against Netherlands at the 2007 World Cup, however, when the fourth ball was pushed to mid-off for a single.
The stand was finally broken when Amla slashed straight to Tom Cooper in the covers. De Villiers was run out five balls later, having hit 13 fours and four sixes, but the damage had already been done.
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