The lead guitar player steps up to the stage at Wembley only to discover that his vintage Fender Stratocaster, the same guitar he had used to develop the lead parts of his songs for years, now sat 600 miles away in a living room. Not just a nightmare, but the real thing, Quinton de Kock encountered as he was preparing to take to the field for the second T20I game against the West Indies at Centurion.
A rare example of an unforced error by De Kock (that will be remembered for years) arrived when he arrived at the ground to find that his kit bag had been left with his bats in Knysna, which is 1000km away from where he needed to play. With over 300 international games under his belt, this type of logistics error has never occurred before. Rather than apologize for the mistake or go quietly into the night, De Kock instead batted for the remainder of the game at a breakneck pace of 115/49 balls.
The Logistic Nightmare of a Forgetful Maestro
De Kock described feeling stupid when he went white with fear, an emotion that makes a global celebrity seem human. The panic was at its most frantic. Phone calls were being made with just thirty minutes left until the team bus was to depart, and the crushing reality hit home that there would be no way for a delivery person anywhere in the world to get the bat from Knysna to Johannesburg in time. The absence of this glove was more than just a glove; it was the absence of the player’s primary tool. The emotional toll of this event should not be downplayed; players who play cricket are generally creatures of habit and can become fixated on aspects such as how they pick up, hold onto, and feel the weight of their bat.
Orchestrating Chaos into a Century of Brilliance
De Kock found an unorthodox way to get back on his feet when he grabbed a bat out of “Baby AB”, 19-year-old Dewald Brevis’ bag. The exchange gave everyone a chance to laugh at the situation and maybe even ease some of the pressure that De Kock was feeling as he said, “It was a good one, it’s left-handed”.
Whatever doubts De Kock may have had regarding the equipment dissipated upon striking; he was not merely surviving but annihilating a West Indies batting lineup while pursuing 222. In his second T20I century (he accomplished this feat in his 100th innings), De Kock demonstrated an unbridled freedom in his batting, which likely resulted from his being forced to play without thought of mechanics. This ultimately produced a truly masterful performance at the crease that would yield almost 75% of his runs off boundary shots.
Why the Wrong Tool Produced the Right Result
Here is where the “cricket geekiness” becomes fascinating. Even though De Kock scored 115 at a strike rate of 234.69, De Kock gave his bat back to Brevis right away, saying, “The weight was in an odd position.” This illustrates a major difference in style (batting) between two different generations of South African batsmen. Brevis is a product of the “modern baseball generation,” using large bats with aggressive swings as well as relying upon raw power.
The fact that De Kock said he disliked how the bat felt while still playing his best 50-over batting of the year shows the opposite in many ways: The heavier, “incorrect” bat may force him to swing as hard through the line as possible, or the discomfort may have helped De Kock’s concentration. For 49 deliveries, De Kock has never used an unwieldy, uncomfortable piece of willow as well as this.
Key Takeaway
Sometimes, stripping away the comfort of familiar equipment forces a player to rely on pure instinct, and that is when genius takes over.
FAQs
1. Why did Quinton de Kock have to borrow a bat for the 2nd T20I?
He accidentally left his entire bag of bats at his home in Knysna, 1,000km away from the match venue in Centurion.
2. Who did De Kock borrow the bat from, and what was the joke?
He borrowed it from Dewald Brevis, who jokingly assured him it was a “left-handed bat” suitable for him.
3. Did De Kock keep the bat after scoring the century?
No. He returned it immediately because he felt the weight was “out of place” for his style of batting compared to Brevis’s heavy-swinging approach.
Disclaimer: This blog post reflects the author’s personal insights and analysis. Readers are encouraged to consider the perspectives shared and draw their own conclusions.
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