A century to remember: Klaasen produces a World Cup classic against England
In the 47th over of the 2023 World Cup game between England and South Africa, Mark Wood unleashed a searing yorker in his second delivery at Heinrich Klaasen. The intense heat, the relentless humidity, and South African’s body battling cramps had pushed Klaasen to the brink, and for a moment, it appeared he might succumb to the delivery and give his wicket away. He did survive being dismissed, but rolled over and fell, thanks to the incredible pace from Wood. Klaasen seemed down and out, but the cricketer refused to surrender.
Heinrich Klaasen celebrates after scoring a century during the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match between England and South Africa(AFP)
The Protea star took a brief respite, hydrating himself and allowing the English fielders to catch their breath in the sweltering Mumbai heat as well. On the very next delivery, Wood attempted a similar yorker; he couldn’t land it properly, though. With astonishing wristwork, Klaasen not only evaded the yorker but sent it soaring behind square for a six. And those two balls epitomized the indomitable spirit of the batter as he smashed a spectacular century against England in Mumbai.
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There might be better centuries in World Cup history but this one was special, for it was a testament to Klaasen’s grit, resilience, and unyielding willpower. The batter defied the oppressive conditions and pushed his own physical limitations to revive South Africa’s innings after a flurry of wickets in the middle-order once made a 300-run score look difficult. South Africa eventually ended with 399/7.
Klaasen’s brilliant innings was his third century of the year and his fourth overall, as he hammered 109 runs from just 67 balls. Alongside him, Marco Jansen played a crucial role, scoring an explosive 75 not out from 42 balls, featuring three fours and six sixes.
South Africa have developed a remarkable habit of posting big scores in the 2023 World Cup so far. Their impressive journey in the tournament commenced with a record-breaking performance in their opener against Sri Lanka in Delhi, when the Proteas blazed their way to an astonishing 428 for 5, etching their name in cricketing history with the highest-ever score in a single World Cup innings.
Heinrich Klaasen, with his incredible hundred, added another feather to South Africa’s World Cup legacy. His was the fifth century scored by a South Africa player in this World Cup alone, equaling the highest number of centuries by a South African side in a single World Cup. It’s a record that stood unchallenged since the 2015 World Cup.
