Heinrich Klaasen on Saturday made a brilliant Cricket World Cup century as South Africa thrashed England by a mammoth 229 runs in Mumbai, India, to leave the champions’ title defense hanging by a thread as they suffered a record defeat in a one-day international (ODI).
Klaasen made 109, despite being repeatedly troubled by a cramp, as South Africa, sent into bat, posted a colossal 399-7 — the highest total conceded by England at this level.
England then collapsed to 68-6 and were 170-9, with 28 overs left, when the match ended, with last man Reece Topley unable to bat following a potentially tournament-ending hand injury acquired while bowling.
Photo: AFP
This crushing loss was England’s heaviest ODI defeat following a 221-run reverse against Australia at Melbourne in 2002.
Klaasen received brilliant support from Marco Jansen in a sixth-wicket stand of 151 in just 77 balls.
Jansen finished on 75 not out — his maiden ODI fifty — having struck three fours and six sixes.
He then followed up with two early wickets in his more familiar role of left-arm quick.
“That 100 is up there with my best ever,” player-of-the-match Klaasen said at the presentation ceremony.
“The conditions were brutal. It’s proper heat and saps the energy out of you,” he added.
Not even Ben Stokes, playing his first game of the tournament, could rescue England this time, with the talisman caught and bowled by Kagiso Rabada for just five.
England’s third defeat in four games, including a shock loss to Afghanistan last time out, left them with a mountain to climb to reach the semi-finals, with skipper Jos Buttler saying: “It leaves us with no room for error.”
“We probably have to win every other game we play from here on, and that’s the situation we’re in,” Buttler said.
Earlier, big-hitting Klaasen struck a six and a four off successive deliveries from fast bowler Mark Wood to complete a 61-ball century.
He was eventually bowled out by Gus Atkinson in the last over, having struck 12 fours and four sixes in total.
A resounding victory was just what South Africa needed after their stunning loss to the Netherlands, a non-Test nation.
“The defeat to the Netherlands was a tough loss, but one defeat does not make a bad team,” said Klaasen. “This was a fantastic performance.”
The Proteas ran riot as they scored 143 off the last 10 overs after losing the toss.
Topley took three wickets but conceded 88 runs in 8.5 overs, with express quick Wood going for 76 in a wicketless seven overs.
“We came here with high hopes, we wanted to play our best cricket, but we were well short of that and were really well beaten in the end,” Buttler said.
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