| Men’s Hundred, Ageas Bowl |
| Northern Superchargers 128-6 (100 balls): Vilas 35* (24); Briggs 2-28 |
| Southern Brave 131-5 (95 balls): De Kock 72* (45); Rashid 2-19 |
| Brave won by five wickets |
| Scorecard; Table |
A classy knock from South Africa captain Quinton de Kock guided Southern Brave through a late wobble and to a crucial victory over Northern Superchargers in the men’s Hundred at the Ageas Bowl.
De Kock, who Brave only signed as a late replacement after Australia’s David Warner pulled out of the competition, made 72 from 45 balls as Brave, who went from 101-2 to 109-5, won by five wickets with five balls to spare.
Superchargers spinner Adil Rashid bowled beautifully to claim 2-19, and move clear as the men’s leading wicket-taker with 10.
Superchargers lost regular wickets in their 128-6 – including Adam Lyth bowled round his legs from the first ball of the game.
Dane Vilas, who is still playing as a concussion replacement for South Africa’s Faf du Plessis, top scored with an unbeaten 35, while Danny Briggs took 2-28.
The win takes Brave – who lost their first two games, but are now unbeaten in four – second in the eight-team table, while Superchargers drop to fifth.
‘He’s peaking at the right time’
De Kock is one of the most destructive batters in world cricket, but was not picked up in the original draft back in 2019.
That may have been because of South Africa’s intended schedule, and it was only after Warner pulled out because of Australia’s quarantine rules that de Kock was snaffled up.
He had failed to make the significant impact so far – scoring 51 runs in three innings – but this was a telling and in truth world-class innings.
His innings included nine fours – fierce pulls, outrageous reverse sweeps and beautiful in-to-out cover drives – and one six planted straight down the ground with 14 off 11 needed.
His calmness and quality saw Brave through the nerves of the three quick wickets and allowed Chris Jordan to play with freedom and hit a six to win the game.
Ex-England batter Michael Carberry, who was on BBC Sport commentary, said: “Quinton de Kock always plays the game with a free spirited air about him – he never looks flustered.
“He’s peaking at the right time and that’s what you want from your big players.”
‘He’s able to bamboozle batsmen’
In late June, England captain Eoin Morgan said “only half a dozen guys were nailed down” for October’s Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, and name-checked Tymal Mills as someone who could force himself into the reckoning, calling him “an outstanding bowler”.
Since then, 90mph bowler Jofra Archer has been ruled out due to an elbow injury, and England are likely to want a direct replacement.
Mills – who has only played the shortest formats since 2015 due to a congenital back condition, which causes spinal issues – could be pushing his case, having last played for England in February 2017.
On Thursday Mills, who has played in franchise competitions all over the world including the Indian Premier League, bowled Joe Clarke with what BBC Sport commentator Henry Moeran called “an absolute rocket”, while Saturday saw him regularly hit 90mph and use canny change-ups to drop his pace to around 69mph.
The Superchargers’ batters struggled to pick him – only hitting one boundary, and playing out seven dot balls, from the left-armer’s 20 balls.
BBC Sport commentator Charles Dagnall said: “He is really formulating himself in people’s mind for the World T20.”
Big Bash winner Chris Green added: “He has used his slower ball to such good effect, and he’s been able to bamboozle batsmen so they can’t line him up.”
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
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