South Africa defeated Australia by 164 runs on Friday, leveling the five-match one-day series at 2-2 as Heinrich Klaasen bludgeoned the ball to all corners in a scorching knock of 174.
After South Africa was sent to bat, Klaasen produced an incredible show of power hitting, hitting 13 sixes to help the team reach 416-5, their second-highest score against Australia.
The sadness of losing will be exacerbated by the fact that opener Travis Head may be out for next month’s World Cup due to a hand injury. Australia responded with 252 in 34.5 overs.
After being hit on the hand by a rising ball from Gerald Coetzee in the ninth over, Head withdrew injured and left the stadium in apparent pain.
Australia had a daunting task ahead of them as Klaasen’s innings secured an enormous total after a lackluster opening stand by the national team.
By the time Klaasen took the field, South Africa was facing a poor total having, on an exceptionally sluggish pitch, reached 120-3 midway through their innings.
His third delivery was a back of length ball that he hammered for four runs, and he never looked back. He ended up with the second-highest ODI score by a batsman ranked No. 5 or below, one run short of Kapil Dev’s record set at Tunbridge Wells during the 1983 World Cup against Zimbabwe.
Although the hosts increased the run rate, Klaasen and David Miller feasted on the bowling after Rassie van der Dussen, who scored 62 off 65 balls, and Klaasen put up 74 fast runs for the fourth wicket.
Their 222 off 94 balls partnership was the quickest double century partnership in ODI history. The game came to a close when Klaasen was caught in deep on the last ball of the inning.
Josh Hazelwood was the best of the struggling bowlers with 2-79 from his 10 overs, while Miller was undefeated at 82 off 45 balls. His 174 came off 83 balls.
Head and David Warner have been at the top of their game throughout the series, but Warner left cheaply on Friday while Miller kept up his heroics with a well-placed close-in catch off Lungi Ngidi’s bowling.
Marnus Labuschagne was removed for 20 when Head withdrew hurt, gloved one down leg side, but Tim David and Alex Carey provided fight with a 72-run stand for the fifth wicket.
David’s firing put a stop to their hopes. Though Carey persevered to attempt a century, he was ultimately eliminated, having been caught for 99 by a swift Quinton de Kock.
The series will conclude on Sunday at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.