Ken Borland

Just 52 balls was enough time for Rilee Rossouw to spend at the crease to notch a dazzling century and lead South Africa to a comprehensive 104-run victory over Bangladesh in their T20 World Cup match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.

Rossouw proved his world-class credentials with 109 off just 56 balls, an innings of sheer class, skill and power, with the left-hander hitting seven fours and eight sixes to set South Africa up for a formidable score of 205/5. Coming in to bat in the second over, Rossouw found fifth gear quickly and showed his boundary-hitting prowess as well as some clever innovation on the touch-shots.

Having won the toss and elected to bat – surprisingly, given the rain around – South Africa lost Temba Bavuma (2) at the end of the first over. The embattled captain shaped to come down the pitch to Taskin Ahmed, but then just fended at an away-swinger and was caught behind.

But a free-scoring Quinton de Kock and Rossouw hardly skipped a beat though as they added 163 in 13.3 overs, the second-highest partnership in T20 World Cup history, just behind the 166 the legendary Sri Lankan pair of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara put on against the West Indies in Bridgetown in 2010.

De Kock blazed 63 off just 38 balls in another great display, showing more of the surgeon’s touch as he stroked seven fours and three sixes, and used a variety of sweeps to great effect.

De Kock’s dismissal at 170/2 with five-and-a-half overs left saw South Africa go into their shells a bit as just 35 runs were scored off the last 33 balls. Rossouw took fewer risks as he approached his century, becoming the first batsman from a Full Member nation to score back-to-back T20 International hundreds, something not even Chris Gayle managed. His hundred was also South Africa’s first in the T20 World Cup.

The pitch was also slowing down and Bangladesh fought back superbly with the ball.

But their chase was almost all over bar the shouting by the end of Anrich Nortje’s first two overs as he removed both openers, Soumya Sarkar (15) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (9), in the third over and then trapped Shakib al-Hasan lbw for a single in the fifth over to leave Bangladesh 39/3.

Nortje then returned to knock over Taskin’s rook for 10 to finish with magnificent figures of 4/10 in three-and-a-half overs, Bangladesh being all out for a paltry 101.

Before that, wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi enjoyed his return to form, taking 3/20 in his four overs.