South Africa showed why they are the most dangerous batting line-up in the game as they crushed Bangladesh in their World Cup match in Mumbai on Tuesday by 149 runs.
South African opener Quinton de Kock had said that this will be his last major ODI tournament. And he made sure to make it a memorable one, hitting his third ton of the tournament.
His 174 helped South Africa pile on another mammoth total of 382-5 at the Wankhede Stadium, ending the contest well before the halfway mark.
A similarly daunting total was beyond the reach of a much more potent England batting line-up that had folded for 170 while chasing 400. Bangladesh too met a similar fate, succumbing to swing and pace under the lights. They were reduced to 159-8 before a fightback from veteran batsman Mahmudullah took them to 233 in 46.4 overs.
Mahmadullah delayed the inevitable by scoring a brilliant 111 in the company of the tailenders, but the second innings was a futile exercise, with the only interest being the margin of victory for South Africa and the extent of its impact on their net run rate.
All the South African bowlers were among the wickets, with Gerald Coetzee (3-62) the pick, while Marco Jansen (2-39), Kagiso Rabada (2-42) and Keshav Maharaj (1-32) all contributed.
The day, however, belonged to South Africa's batsmen, despite an uncertain start.
The Proteas seemed to be in trouble at 36-2 after winning the toss but rallied superbly. They meandered along at under run a ball until the death overs, when they blasted 144 runs off the last 10.
Heinrich Klaasen was in unforgiving mood, following up his whirlwind hundred against England at the same venue with a blistering 90.
Almost every Bangladesh bowler was taken to task, none more so than new-ball paceman Mustafizur Rahman whose nine wicketless overs cost 76 runs. Fit-again Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan, appearing in his fifth World Cup, was not spared either during a return of 1-69 in nine.
South Africa briefly faltered after Bangladesh's early double strike but De Kock and stand-in captain Aiden Markram (60) calmed the nerves with a stand of 131.
Markram looked in fine touch until he tamely chipped Shakib to long-off.
But De Kock completed his 20th hundred in 150 ODIs before, in sight of becoming just the third batsman to score a World Cup double century, he sliced Hasan Mahmud to deep point.
He faced 140 balls in total, smashing 15 fours and seven sixes.
Klaasen ensured there was no respite with eight sixes in his 49-ball innings before he holed out in the last over.
In all, South Africa hit 19 sixes in the match and now have come close to or crossed 400 three times already in the tournament.
The Proteas have won four of their five World Cup matches, with the only blot on their record a shock loss to Netherlands.
