It has almost been two years since David Warner and Quinton de Kock nearly came to blows with each other. A heated verbal altercation between the two in a staircase on the fourth day of the two teams’ first Test in Durban ended up costing the two loads of money, a few demerit points and a boatload of dignity. But we don’t really want to be seeing cricketers indulging in real life fights, do we? Well, that’s why, in today’s edition of Friday Fights, we have simulated the much-awaited fight between Warner and de Kock, but with an added twist to it - it’s based on numbers and numbers only. 

An extremely tightly contested round but Warner draws first blood. His overall career average of 46.27 just about pips de Kock’s average of 45.58 and thus the Australian takes the early lead and walks out of the first round as the victor. 

ROUND 2 → AVERAGE IN FOREIGN CONDITIONS: Warner’s jab pegs de Kock further back

Yet another closely contested round with barely anything to separate the two, but Warner lands a sweet jab just on time to further assert his supremacy in the contest. His average of 43.40 in ODIs away from home is convincingly better than de Kock’s 41.06, and so the New South Welshman now has a firm griphold over his opponent after the first two rounds.  

ROUND 3 -> AVERAGE IN HOME CONDITIONS: De Kock’s counter-punching uppercut stuns his counterpart

Oh WOW!  Who saw that coming? An outrageous blow from the South African - against the run of play - has levelled things in the contest. His average in home conditions of 59.31 absolutely crushes Warner’s tally of 45.22.  Well, that shapes up things nicely. 

ROUND 4 -> AVERAGE IN NEUTRAL VENUES: De Kock falls through the ropes after Warner’s omnipotent right-handed hook

BANG! There we go! The first one-sided round of the bout. Warner’s average at neutral venues of 55.72 literally punches a hole through the numbers of de Kock, that stands at a miserable 30.5. 

ROUND 5 -> AVERAGE IN MAJOR TOURNAMENTS: Warner lands the perfect one-two, leaves de Kock gasping for breath

Warner goes BANG BANG! It is always important to make the best use of momentum and stay ahead of your opponent in the fight and that’s exactly what Warner has done here. His average in major ICC tournaments (World Cup and Champions Trophy) of 56.84 brutalizes that of de Kock, which is a hideous 31.05.  

ROUND 6 -> STRIKE RATE: De Kock almost restores parity but Warner has the final laugh

After two painfully one-sided rounds, this fight cried for de Kock to fight back and that’s exactly what the South African has done. However, sadly for him, it’s not enough to win the round. His strike rate of 94.94 is EXCELLENT, but it happens to be so that Warner’s strike rate of 95.94 is slightly better. Warner exits this round the victor, but he knows that he now has a fight in his hands.

ROUND 7 -> 50 TO 100 CONVERSIONS: Warner’s Corkscrew Punch keeps de Kock at bay

This has been the pattern of this match so far, hasn’t it? Warner wrestles back the initiative everytime de Kock looks like he’s going to edge ahead. This is the second consecutive closely contested round, but the Australian’s outrageous conversion rate of 47.36% is enough for him to score a few more points over his counterpart, whose 50 to 100 conversion rate is 37.5%. 

ROUND 8 -> 50s IN WINNING CAUSES:  De kock delivers a right cross to Warner’s face

BOOOOOM!  This was the moment we all were waiting for - for de Kock to rock Warner back with an absolutely annihilating hit. His 18 fifties in winning causes is 5 more than Warner’s 13 and it’s a significant margin considering the South African has batted just one innings more than the Aussie. 

ROUND 9 -> 100s in WINNING CAUSES: Warner picks off de Kock’s jabs

Looks like de Kock knocked some sense back into Warner with that previous round - literally. The South African starts this round off on in similar fashion, but this time around, the Aussie is one step ahead of him and just parries away his punches. De Kock’s 12 hundreds in winning causes is exceptional, but Warner’s 13 is just otherworldly and that keeps him ahead in the bout. 

ROUND 10 -> NUMBER OF 50+ SCORES IN SUCCESSFUL CHASES: De Kock has Warner on the ropes

Quinton is on the attack and is hell bent on edging ahead in this fight. After three good rounds, he throws a barrage of punches at Warner and has him on the ropes. His 13 fifty-plus scores in successful chases is light years ahead of Warner’s 8. Quinny on the rise!

ROUND 11 -> NUMBER OF 50+ SCORES WITH STRIKE RATE OVER 120:  Relentless de Kock keeps pounding Warner

De Kock, as of this moment, is pounding Warner like a possessed demon. He follows the one-sided 10th round with YET ANOTHER extremely one-sided round that is heavily tilted in his favour. He has 9 scores of 50 or more compared to Warner’s 5 and the South African is clearly asserting his authority over the Aussie. 

ROUND 12 -> STRIKE RATE IN SUCCESSFUL CHASES: Warner is saved by the bell

This is getting nasty now. Quinton de Kock is mercilessly pounding Warner and this is the THIRD STRAIGHT round where he’s emerged victorious. His strike rate in successful chases of 106.81 is wayyy above Warner’s 99.81 and hence he well and truly has the upper hand in this bout now.

Well, you expect boxing rounds to last just 12 rounds, but not this one folks. We are going old school. WE ARE GOING 15 ROUNDS. Which means we have THREE MORE ROUNDS to decide the winner. Brace yourselves for a gruelling few minutes! 

ROUND 13 -> AVERAGE IN H2H MATCHES: Warner delivers a Check Hook on time!

David Warner - 10   Quinton de Kock - 7

ROUND 14 -> AVERAGE IN ICC KNOCKOUT MATCHES: Wounded de Kock lands THE PERFECT JAB!

David Warner - 7    Quinton de Kock - 10

FINAL ROUND - > NOT OUTS IN SUCCESSFUL CHASES (AS OPENER): Tied rounds leaves players waiting anxiously!

And so the bell has been rung. The judges have come up with their result and so after 15 rounds of brutal boxing, it is finally time to know who the winner is.

David Warner - 10   Quinton de Kock - 10

AND THERE WE GO!  We have a winner. And it is DAVID WARNER!  It was close, the fight was really close. It was perhaps the closest fight we’ll have in the weeks, maybe months, to come. But eventually, it is David Warner who has edged Quinton de Kock and it is the Australian who will walk out as the champion. 

FINAL SCORE:  DAVID WARNER 137-136 QUINTON DE KOCK

That was one crazy bout, wasn’t it? Looking back, it is flabbergasting how closely matched these two players are. We never could have expected or predicted such a close contest in the first place. But that’s the beauty of Friday Fights and that is exactly why, week after week, we simulate these special fights. That’s curtains for now but don’t forget, we will be back next Friday with another exhilarating bout.