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Sharma heroics highlight Proteas' struggles

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Rohit Sharma (Getty)
Rohit Sharma (Getty)

Manchester - In total, there have been 24 centuries recorded at the 2019 Cricket World Cup - and India's Rohit Sharma now has four of them.

His 104 against Bangladesh in Birmingham on Tuesday means he joins Kumar Sangakkara as the only other batsman to have ever posted four centuries in one edition of the tournament. 

It is some achievement, but players who can stand up and score hundreds are a crucial part of the recipe for success at a World Cup. 

South Africa will know that better than anyone. 

Along with Afghanistan, the Proteas are the only side at the World Cup not to have had a player score an individual ton.

England have 6, India 5, Australia 4, Bangladesh 3, New Zealand 2, West Indies 2, Pakistan 1 and Sri Lanka 1

That obviously isn't the only reason the wheels fell off for the Proteas in England, but it is certainly one that is difficult to ignore. 

The South African top order has failed to land killer blows throughout the competition, with batsmen getting decent starts in every game without kicking on. 

In total, the Proteas have scored nine half-centuries at the competition, while there have been 14 individual innings where the batsman scored between 20-49.

Getting in has not been the issue and nobody has proved that more than David Miller at this World Cup with his scores in the tournament reading: 38, 31, 36 and 31

Nobody could play innings of substance in the matches that mattered most for the Proteas while everywhere else in the competition, players have done just that. 

Sharma has done it four times, including once against South Africa at the Rose Bowl where his 122* in difficult batting conditions prompted Virat Kohli to call it one of the best innings he had ever seen Sharma play.

For New Zealand, Kane Williamson has been the man who has stepped up with two tons, one of which was a match-winning 106* against South Africa at Edgbaston. 

In both of those matches, South Africa were ultimately outdone by an individual who delivered with the bat when the lights were at their brightest. 

It was supposed to be the role that Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis would perform for the Proteas, but there just wasn't enough depth there should that plan have failed - which it did. 

Australian captain Aaron Finch has also risen to the occasion, helping himself to two three-figure scores to date. 

England have Joe Root, who has two centuries so far, but who looks like he could bat forever every time he walks out to the middle, while Jason Roy, Jos Buttler, Eoin Morgan and Jonny Bairstow have all hit tons too. 

When looking at those returns, it is easy to see why those four nations have set the standard at the tournament and are the favourites to contest the semi-finals next week. 

In his defence, Du Plessis was well on his way to a century against Sri Lanka in Durham on Friday, left stranded on 96* as the Proteas cruised to victory. 

South Africa had already been mathematically eliminated by then, so the contest did not mean anything, and they were given the freedom to play without pressure.

It is too late to change anything now, but if South Africa had just one of their top order players enjoying half the tournament Sharma has, it could have been a very different story for the Proteas.

The South Africans end their campaign against Australia in Manchester on Saturday. The first ball is due to be bowled at 14:30 SA time.

@LloydBurnard is in England covering the 2019 Cricket World Cup for Sport24 ...

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