South Africa’s aggressive opener Quinton de Kock
Early in his career, Quinton de Kock was compared to greats of the game like Adam Gilchrist and Mark Boucher because of his aggressive striking and deft glovework. Before being surpassed by Kumar Sangakkara at age 21, he and another player shared the record for the most consecutive ODI century with three. He had established himself for South Africa in all three formats a year later.
Early Life
De Kock played baseball as a child and even thought about relocating to the United States, but his father persuaded him to focus on cricket. He went to King Edward VII High School, where Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie also attended, and was chosen for the South African U-19 team, which he briefly led. He also led South Africa’s batting averages during the 2012 junior World Cup in Australia.
Records
1. In an ODI match against India in South Africa in 2013, he scored three centuries in a row.
2. With six centuries, he and Upul Tharanga have the most under 21 years old, however, de Kock has a higher average.
Career Crossroads
performance in the 2012 Champions League Twenty20 match versus Mumbai Indians that resulted in victory
Consistency is the key
De Kock went on a scoring spree in the middle of the year, becoming the fifth South African to make five fifty-plus runs in a row. This run culminated with a match-winning hundred against Australia in Hobart, which gave the visitors the series victory. For many Australian spectators, De Kock’s style of play in the preceding Test at Perth, where he scored counterattacking fifties, followed by Hobart, brought back wonderful memories of their own renowned wicketkeeper batsman.
Recent Touch
De Kock’s objective is to continue his recent form, which has seen him score runs everywhere, as well as to improve upon the previous edition. The batting depends on de Kock at the top of the order because Amla’s form is uncertain and Markram is a World Cup unknown. He fires, and South Africa follows suit.
Recent Performance
Quinton de Kock’s blistering knock nearly handed South Africa victory over Zimbabwe before rain played spoilsport in their T20 World Cup opener in Hobart on Monday and both teams ended up sharing the points.
