De Kock delighted to end 'frustrating' wait for Test century

After just over two years without a Test ton, Quinton de Kock was pleased to return to form for South Africa against Pakistan.

Published : Jan 14, 2019 08:21 IST

South Africa batsman Quinton de Kock
South Africa batsman Quinton de Kock
lightbox-info

South Africa batsman Quinton de Kock

Quinton de Kock expressed his delight at ending a "frustrating" wait for his fourth Test century as he led South Africa towards a whitewash of Pakistan on Sunday.

The Proteas won the first two matches of the three-Test series with ease and De Kock ensured they are well placed for another victory after making 129 as his team ended day three with a 228-run lead.

An improved performance from Pakistan with the bat saw it reach stumps at 153-3, but it has plenty of work to do to cancel out De Kock's efforts.

And after a two-year wait for a Test ton, there was a sense of relief for the man who looks to have teed up another South Africa win.

"I was a little bit pumped up when I scored the hundred," De Kock said. "I haven't scored one in quite a while, so it's nice to finally get those three figures behind my name once again.

"It's always frustrating when you're trying to do your best for the team and you never quite get what you want out of it. It was quite frustrating and that's why I was a little pumped up."

De Kock enjoyed a late partnership of 79 with Kagiso Rabada (21) and he paid tribute to his team-mate for playing a key role in both the century and the match.

"It was quite important, the last couple of partnerships at the end," De Kock said. "By the looks of it, we needed those extra runs at the end there because the wicket is playing quite nicely.

"Those two [Rabada and Vernon Philander] play a big role, especially KG [Rabada]. He came in and gave me confidence and said to me that he'll be here for me until the end, which he did and batted superbly.

"Vernon got a good nut, which was unfortunate, but when KG came in he gave me confidence. He is a flipping good batsman. He's got a good technique. He's going to score runs for the team, especially when we need it most

"He puts a bit of pressure on the bowlers, because he's not scared to play his shots, but he plays good cricket shots, which is the key for him. He looks like a good batsman and one day he could be higher up in the order going forward.

"He has a few things to work on, but he definitely has the potential to be a top batsman."

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment