De Kock Smashes Career-Best 115 with Borrowed Bat, Admits He “Didn’t Really Enjoy It”

Quinton de Kock produced a stunning career-best 115 in the second T20I against West Indies — despite realising just half an hour before departure that he had forgotten his bats.

South Africa’s series-clinching victory at SuperSport Park was headlined by de Kock’s second T20I century, but the innings came under unusual circumstances. Having travelled to the Highveld without his batting equipment, de Kock was forced to improvise, borrowing a bat from teammate Dewald Brevis shortly before the match.

“I felt a bit stupid when I noticed earlier,” de Kock said after the match. “I’ve got some new bags over the last year and I just went blank. I went a bit white when I realised I had to make one or two phone calls half an hour before the bus was leaving.”

With his bats still on the coast and no chance of retrieving them in time, de Kock turned to his teammates for help. As one of the senior players in the squad, he had options — and ultimately settled on Brevis’ bat.

“Before I got into the change room, I went looking around between Brevi and Ricks [Ryan Rickelton] and I just pulled one out of Brevi’s bag,” de Kock said. “I told him I was going to use it, and he said it was a good bat for me because it was a left-handed bat. I was like, ‘Wow! Youngsters these days!’”

Despite the light-hearted exchange — and Brevis being a right-handed batter — the bat proved remarkably effective. De Kock hammered six fours and 10 sixes on his way to 115, his highest score in T20 internationals, as South Africa chased down 222 to win the match and the series.

The innings also saw de Kock become South Africa’s leading run-scorer in T20 cricket, continuing the rich form he displayed earlier in the SA20, where he finished as the tournament’s top run-getter.

However, despite the success, de Kock admitted the borrowed bat was not to his liking and confirmed it would be returned once his own equipment arrived.

“To be honest, I didn’t really enjoy it,” he said. “The weight was out of place for me. It’s for youngsters who swing hard. If my bats come before the next game, I’ll be using my own.”

De Kock’s partnership with Ryan Rickelton proved decisive, with the pair adding 162 for the second wicket to all but seal the chase. Brevis was barely required, departing cheaply at No. 4, before Rickelton and Jason Smith guided South Africa home in what became their third-highest successful chase at SuperSport Park.

Reflecting on the innings, de Kock suggested that the conditions — rather than the bat — played the biggest role in the ease of the chase.

“The wicket was very good and we played accordingly,” he said. “On wickets like that, you can just bat. I enjoyed my innings and we won the game, but honestly, in T20 cricket I’ve worked harder for my runs before, and that gives me more satisfaction.”

South Africa’s comfort in chasing big totals at Centurion was once again evident, with de Kock noting the confidence the side draws from past successes at the venue — including their record chase of 259 against West Indies at the same ground.