ICC World Cup 2019: Match 45, Australia vs South Africa – Warner’s lone effort, Faf’s favorite opponent and more stats

South Africa return from the World Cup 2019 with a thrilling 10-run win in the last league game against Australia in Manchester. Faf du Plessis’ 94-ball 100 and Rassie van der Dussen’s 95 helped South Africa to finish on 325/6 after the openers gave a good start. It looked as if the Proteas were 10-20 runs short at the innings interval but their bowlers ensured they got enough to defend.

Barring David Warner, no Aussie top-order batsman could resist. Warner (122) and Alex Carey (85) put their best for a win and avoid a semi-final against England. Eventually, they finished with 315 and fell only 11 runs short of the target.

All the statistical highlights from South Africa’s narrow win at the Old Trafford against Australia:

A win after two decades:

1992 – For the first time since 1992, South Africa managed to get the better of Australia in a World Cup game. Australia won three of their four CWC meetings post 1992 against South Africa while another game ended in a Tie.

A tournament of 300+ totals:

4 – South Africa became only the 4th team to concede 300+ totals on four instances in a World Cup. Bangladesh conceded 300+ in six out of eight matches in this tournament. Namibia in 2003 and Windies in 2007 also gave away 300+ totals in four matches.

5 – This was the 5th time Australia has posted 300+ totals in this tournament; the joint 2nd most number of 300+ totals in a World Cup by a team. England posted six such totals in nine matches in the ongoing tournament while the Aussies also had five 300+ totals in the 2007 edition.

Faf and the Aussie bashing:

5 – Number of centuries for Faf du Plessis in ODI format against Australia; the 5th player with as many ODI tons against the Aussies. Among South Africans, only H Gibbs (3) has scored more than two ODI hundreds against Australia.

With this century, Du Plessis completed 1000 runs in ODIs against Australia. In 21 innings against them, Faf amassed 1080 runs at an average 54 with eight fifty-plus scores.

100 – Faf du Plessis is only the 3rd captain to score a century against Australia in the World Cup. Clive Lloyd scored 102 in the 1975 CWC final while Martin Crowe scored an unbeaten 100 in the opening game of the 1992 edition.

A record hundred from Warner:

17 – Number of centuries from David Warner as an opener in ODI cricket; the most ODI tons by an opener for Australia. Warner surpassed Adam Gilchrist’s 16 ODI hundreds as an opener.

113 – Warner scored his 17th ODI hundred in his 113th innings; the 3rd quickest by any player. Hashim Amla scored the 17th century of his ODI career in 98th innings while Virat Kohli got his in the 112th outing.

Starc levels with McGrath:

26 – Mitchell Starc’s 26 wickets in this tournament are the joint-most by any player in a World Cup. Starc equalled Glenn McGrath’s tally of 26 wickets in the 2003 edition.

Carey fight down the order:

85 – Alex Carey’s 85 is the 3rd highest individual score by any player while batting at No.7 or lower position in World Cup. Nathan Coulter-Nile scored 92 at No.8 position against Windies earlier this tournament while Daren Sammy scored 89 in 2015 against Ireland at No.7 spot.

Carey’s knock, however, is the highest in World Cup while chasing at No.7 or lower position. Previous highest was 73 by two different players.

A big hundred in losing cause:

122 – David Warner’s 122 is the highest individual score for Australia in losing cause at the World Cup. Ricky Ponting’s 104 against India during the 2011 quarter-final in Ahmedabad was the previous highest CWC score in a defeat for the Aussies.

2 – This was the 2nd time Warner scored a century in an unsuccessful ODI chase. He scored 173 during the 2016 away series also against South Africa. Thus, Warner became only the 2nd Australian to score two hundreds in unsuccessful chases. Shaun Marsh scored two centuries in ODIs in 2018 and both came in defeats.