World Cup Day 3: South Africa's centurions set record score

South Africa recorded a record World Cup score in Delhi as they amassed 428/5 against Sri Lanka.

South Africa recorded just one century during the 2019 World Cup; a number that they trebled in their opening match of 2023. Quinton de Kock, retiring from ODI's at the end of this tournament, was the first to reach three figures. He brought up his hundred from 83 deliveries and was out from the next ball as he tried to clear mid-on.

Rassie van der Dussen brought up his century - 108 from 110 balls - and Aiden Markram fired a quickfire 106 from just 54 balls. Markram's hundred is the fastest in World Cup history and came from 49 balls. Quickfire 30s from Klaasen and Miller took South Africa to that world record score.

Both van der Dussen and Markram were particularly strong through the offside and the cover drive provided them with an effective route to the boundary. behind square was also one of van der Dussen's 'go to 'areas.

Sri Lanka played their part in extending the record-breaking. The teams combined to score the most runs (754) and most boundaries (105) in an ICC Men's World Cup match.

Bowlers on both sides struggled to extract anything from the flat pitch. No Sri Lankan bowler conceded less than a run-a-ball in their spell - the most economical being Dasun Shanaka who conceded exactly six an over from his six overs.

Requiring over eight an over from the start, the target was always going to be ambitious for Sri Lanka. They lost the early wicket of Pathum Nissanka who was knocked over from his third delivery without score. Marco Jansen, who took the wicket with his first ball, nearly picked up another although the LBW review showed the ball to be sneaking over the top of the stumps.

Attention then turned to Kusal Mendis whose swashbuckling innings of 76 contained eight sixes and four fours. Mendis was particularly strong on the leg side and many of his sixes went over the deep square leg boundary.

His dismissal did dent the progress of the team, even though Shanaka and Charith Asalanka did follow up with half-centuries of their own. It was a valiant effort to get as close to the score as possible. In the end, though, it was not enough and Sri Lanka were dismissed for 326 to give South Africa a 102-run victory to kickstart their campaign.

Earlier in the day there was a much lower-scoring affair between Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Dharamsala. Afghanistan batted first and made just 156 despite at one point being 112/2. Mehidy Hasan (3-25) and Shakib-Al-Hasan (3-30) combined to rip through the middle and lower order.

Bangladesh chased the target down with minimum fuss and in just 34.4 overs. Mehidy Hasan, who was named the player of the match, chipped in with 57 as Bangladesh won by 6 wickets with 92 balls remaining.