Quinton de Kock (South Africa player) post-match Press Conference - 22nd June 2024
[Reporter:]
Jos has said that, effectively, the way you went about things right at the start of the game in the powerplay was where the match was won. Did it feel like that at the time?
[Quinton De Kock:]
I think I wouldn't say it was won or lost. Obviously, it makes a massive impact. I've played a lot of day T20s in cricket in the West Indies and generally that is the most important time to score runs, it was the easiest time to score runs. I was in the power play and the ball was old, as the wicket deteriorates it gets harder. Look I think our bowlers also bowled really well, one or two key moments that could have also been a standout over I think KG's final over was also could be potential match winning. I think there was other moments but obviously that's probably one of our better power players this whole World Cup so could be you never know.
[Reporter:]
And then yeah as you said that for every boundary you got away in the power play England actually couldn't match that and your bowlers tied them up, I guess conversely was that where you felt from a target of one six three you actually moved into in favourites when you shut them down in that powerplay?
[Quinton De Kock:]
No, definitely not. I've played against enough of the England boys around the world. You get one of them get going. They're all match winners; they can win games from anywhere. Looked like Harry was well on the way to be doing that then obviously Aidan just took a stunner which was a big moment for us in the context of the game so yeah, I'm not saying that just the time we won it but just small moments.
[Reporter:]
The catching across the board was excellent that you fell to a really good catch as well – with that Markram one can you can you talk us through it explain how hard it is to do what he did?
[Quinton De Kock:]
Yeah, I don't think the TV does it justice when people are watching from the outside. From the angle of the wicket, coming straight down, there's a massive left to right wind from my direction. I don't know, maybe like 40km an hour, 50km an hour. So, it's not the ball's just getting pushed, but also getting moved that way. And he actually turned on the inside. So, the ball's always moving towards the boundary. And credit to - I've seen Aiden, I think a lot of the guys, everybody takes the high catches but he practices those catches all the time. So, you don't really see it when I play in other teams around the world, you've got different captains, I don't see them really practicing that sort of, those catches, but I see him did it and he won us a game well won us a moment in the game today.
[Reporter:]
Just picking up on what you said there, so when you walked out to bat were you pretty clear that the pass score today would be a bit lower than it was in the previous night games here?
[Quinton De Kock:]
Yeah, I was, I don't know if the rest of the guys knew, but I had a fair sense. I've played here quite a bit in the Caribbean League. Same thing, Wicket looks beautiful at night, plays most differently, but at the day 160 - 170 are winning scores here in the day. I think generally it goes by like that in the Caribbean. I think the lights and maybe a bit of dew at night help the ball skid on a bit better. But I could be wrong, but that's what I saw today.
[Reporter:]
You mentioned the wind as well, can you just tell us a bit about how you try and use that when you're batting?
[Quinton De Kock:]
Yeah, I think wins definitely a big factor especially open the batting when you've only got two guys out you've got to use that win as much as you can don't fight it just try and use it but yeah, I think it's going to be like that the whole the rest of the World Cup when win definitely plays a big factor.
[Reporter:]
Do you think it plays a bigger factor in the Caribbean than just about anywhere else in the world in terms of the impact it has on games?
[Quinton De Kock:]
I think generally wherever in the world there's wind you're going to try and use it anyway. So, whether it's the Caribbean, South Africa, England, India, it doesn't matter. Wherever there's wind you're generally just going to use it.
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