South Africa rode on belligerent half centuries from Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla and Jean-Paul Duminy to post a record total of 229 for 4 against England in the ICC World Twenty20 here today.
A near-century opening partnership between right-handed Amla (58 in 31 balls) and left-handed de Kock (52 in 24 balls) set the stage for left handers Duminy (54 not out in 24 balls) and David Miller (24 not out in 11 balls) to finish the innings with a flourish with an unconquered stand of 60 in 27 balls.
Wicket keeper batsman de Kock set the stage alight with an all-out attack in the power play before departing for a quick-fire 24-ball 52, inclusive of 3 sixes and 7 fours in the Super 10 Group 1 game at the Wankhede Stadium.
Amla, playing second fiddle initially, opened up later to smack 58 in 31 balls with an identical number of fours and sixes as the opening duo gave the Proteas a flying start of 96 in 7.1 overs.
Later, Jean-Paul Duminy struck 3 sixes and as many fours to make sure the early blast did not go to waste and the team ended with their highest and third 200-plus score in the tournament's history. Miller struck the last ball for his second six.
All of England's fast bowlers were wayward while spinners Moeen Ali (2 for 34) and Adil Rashid (1 for 35) were also expensive.
Put in to bat by England captain Eoin Morgan, South Africa fired from start as de Kock kicked up a veritable storm after a calm opening over from David Willey that yielded just two runs.
Reece Topley was smacked for 15 runs in the second by the 23-year-old left-handed wicket keeper batsman, with one six and two fours, all of them towards the cover region.
In the next over from Willey, de Kock smashed the left- arm pace bowler for two sixes to take 16 runs off six balls.
With Amla following suit at the other end by hammering Moeen Ali, who had replaced Topley, for successive fours the tone was set.
England let things drift away when Topley dropped a sitter at short extra cover off the third ball to reprieve Amla.
The right-handed batsman gleefully accepted the gift, soon after the score had breached 50 in 23 balls, by striking three fours in four balls in the fifth over from Jordan, who bowled that over awfully.
