Heinrich Klaasen achieves these milestones in 174-run knock versus Australia
South Africa wicket-keeper batter Heinrich Klaasen played a historic knock against Australia in the fourth ODI in Centurion. The dasher took the Aussie bowlers to the cleaners as he mostly dealt in sixes. Klaasen smoked 174 runs off 83 deliveries as he pumped 13 boundaries and as many sixes. He broke a flurry of records while smashing his second-fastest ODI century and third overall.
Second-most sixes in an ODI innings for South Africa
Klaasen smoked 13 maximums on the night while smashing a historic score. Among SA batters only AB de Villiers have smashed more sixes in an ODI innings (14) which came against West Indies in 2015 De Villiers is tied with Quinton de Kock in the third spot with 11 sixes each. ABD's record happened against India at Wankhede while QDK smashed it against Australia.
Second-highest score at number five or below in ODIs
Klaasen came to bat at number five and his 174-run knock is the second-highest individual score in ODIs for number five or below. The 32-year-old is only behind former Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev 175* against Zimbabwe in 1983. Only de Villiers (162* versus WI, 2015) is the other SA batter to score 150-plus in an ODI innings while batting at number five or lower.
Klaasen's historic partnership with Miller
Klaasen stitched a 222-run stand with David Miller which took SA's total to 416/5. As per Cricbuzz, they became the second SA pair to record an ODI double-century partnership for the fifth wicket or lower. They are behind JP Duminy and Miller's 256*-run partnership against Zimbabwe in 2015. Overall, they recorded the sixth-highest ODI partnership for the fifth wicket or below.
The third-highest run rate for a 150-plus partnership in ODIs
17.19 - 192(67) - Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers (SA) vs WI, Johannesburg, 2015 15.28 - 191(75) - Corey Anderson, Jesse Ryder (NZ) vs WI, Queenstown, 2014 14.47 - 222(92) - Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller (SA) vs AUS, Centurion, 2023 13.41 - 161*(72) - Jos Buttler, Eoin Morgan (ENG) vs PAK, Nottingham, 2016.
Second-fastest ODI hundred against Australia (balls faced)
Klaasen smashed his ton in 57 deliveries and registered the second-fastest ODI ton against Australia. He is only behind India's Virat Kohli, who slammed a ton in 53 balls against the Aussies in 2013 (Jaipur). Kohli also holds the third position, having slammed a 61-ball century at Nagpur in 2013. Alex Hales is in fourth position with a 62-ball hundred against Australia in 2018.
This was Klaasen's second-fastest ODI century
Klaasen reached the triple-figure mark in only 57 balls and surprisingly it was his second-fastest ODI century. His fastest century came against WI in 54 balls earlier this year. Overall, this was the joint-fifth fastest century for SA in ODI cricket. De Villiers has also slammed a 57-ball ton against India in 2015. He has also recorded the fastest ODI century in 31 balls.
3rd-highest individual score against AUS for SA
Klaasen's 174 is now the third-highest individual score by an SA batter in ODIs against Australia. De Kock (178) and Herschelle Gibbs (175) are ahead of him. Meanwhile, Klaasen is now the eighth batter for SA to surpass 170 runs in an ODI match.
Two of his three ODI tons have come this year
Playing his 40th ODI, Klaasen has raced to 1,317 runs at an impressive average of 42.48. His strike rate in the format reads 11.2.37. Besides three tons, he owns five fifties. In 2023, he has compiled 513 ODI runs at an average and strike rate of 73.28 and 154.51, respectively. Two of his three ODI tons have come this year.
SA win by a mammoth 164 runs, level series 2-2
Klaasen's heroics and Miller's brilliant act helped SA post their second-highest ODI score versus Australia and also their seventh score of 400-plus in ODIs. For the Aussies, Adam Zampa went for 113 runs in his 10 overs. In response, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi claimed wickets as Australia folded for 252 to lose by 164 runs. Alex Carey shined with a 99-run knock.
Do you know?
Klaasen needed 77 balls to complete his 150. As per ESPNcricinfo, this is the fourth-fastest for any batter in men's ODIs. It is also the second-fastest for South Africa. De Villiers needed 64 balls for his 150 against West Indies in the 2015 World Cup.
