CENTURION: Heinrich Klaasen bludgeoned the ball to all corners in a blistering knock of 174 off 83 balls at SuperSport Park to lead South Africa to a comprehensive 164-run victory over Australia in the fourth One-day International and level the five-match series to 2-2 on Friday.

Klaasen hit 13 sixes in an awe-inspiring display of power hitting and shared an extraordinary fifth wicket partnership of 222 off only 94 balls with David Miller (82 not out) to help South Africa to a total of 416-5, their fifth-highest total in ODIs, after they had been put into bat.

Australia replied with 252 in 34.5 overs and the disappointment of defeat will be multiplied by a hand injury to opener Travis Head that could rule him out of next months World Cup.

Head retired hurt after being struck on the hand by a rising delivery from Gerald Coetzee in the ninth over, walking off the arena in obvious distress.

“It’s a confirmed fracture but as to the nature of the break and what sort of timeframe to heal, that will be asse­ssed tomorrow,” said Australia coach Andrew McDonald.

The 29-year-old Head, who has been a spearhead at the top of the innings for Australia in one dayers, would be sorely missed if he is to be ruled out of the World Cup, which starts in India on Oct 5.

“He’s going to go in for some more scans tomo­rrow... We have fingers crossed, clearly with the World Cup, fast approaching,” McDonald added.

Australia were always going to be up against it after Klaasens innings had ensured a mammoth tally after a tepid start by the home side.

South Africa had scored 120-3 halfway through their innings, on an unusually slow wicket, and were looking at mediocre total when Klaasen came to the crease.

He slashed a back of length ball for four with his third delivery and never looked back as he scored the second highest ODI score by a No 5 batsman or lower one shy of Kapil Dev’s record set against Zimbabwe at the 1983 World Cup at Tunbridge Wells.

Klaasen and Rassie van der Dussen, who made 62 off 65 balls, put on 74 quick runs for the fourth wicket as the hosts accelerated the run rate but it was Klaasen and Miller who then feasted on the bowling.

“To be honest I can’t remember the last part of the innings. I’ll have to go back and watch it tonight,” Klaasen said.

He also smashed 13 fours before being caught on the boundary off the last ball of the innings.

“Some days guys have a day out,” said Australian captain Mitchell Marsh, who for the second game in a row was on the losing side after sending in the opposition. “Klaasen was amazing. We got outplayed. Sometimes in international cricket you have to take your hat off.”

Alex Carey hit 99 off 77 balls for Australia and was last man out. Lungi Ngidi took 4-51 and Kagiso Rabada 3-41 for South Africa.

The series will be settled at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday.

SCOREBOARD

SOUTH AFRICA:

Q. de Kock c Marsh b Hazlewood 45

R. Hendricks b Ellis 28

R. van der Dussen c Carey b H’wood 62

A. Markram c Stoinis b Neser 8

H. Klaasen c Ellis b Stoinis 174

D. Miller not out 82

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-4, NB-2, W-10) 17

TOTAL (for five wkts, 50 overs) 416

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-64 (Hendricks), 2-95 (De Kock), 3-120 (Markram), 4-194 (Van der Dussen), 5-416 (Klaasen).

DID NOT BAT: M. Jansen, G. Coetzee, K. Maharaj, K. Rabada, L. Ngidi

BOWLING: Hazlewood 10-0-79-2 (2w, 1nb), Stoinis 10-1-81-1 (1w, 1nb), Neser 10-0-59-1 (1w), Ellis 10-0-79-1 (4w), Zampa 10-0-113-0 (1w).

AUSTRALIA:

D. Warner c Miller b Ngidi 12

T. Head retired hurt 17

M. Marsh lbw b Ngidi 6

M. Labuschagne c De Kock b Jansen 20

A. Carey c De Kock b Rabada 99

M. Stoinis c De Kock b Rabada 18

T. David c Markram b Ngidi 35

M. Neser b Maharaj 3

N. Ellis c Rabada b Ngidi 18

A. Zampa c De Kock b Rabada 9

J. Hazlewood not out 1

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-3, W-9) 14

TOTAL (all out, 34.5 overs) 252

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-16 (Warner), 2-22 (Marsh), 3-87 (Labuschagne), 4-113 (Stoinis), 5-185 (David), 6-200 (Neser), 7-233 (Ellis), 8-249 (Zampa), 9-252 (Carey).

BOWLING: Ngidi 8-1-51-4 (2w), Rabada 7.5-0-41-3 (1w), Coetzee 8-0-73-0 (5w), Jansen 6-0-55-1, Maharaj 5-1-27-1 (1w).

RESULT: South Africa won by 164 runs.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2023