Watch: Aiden Markram hit the fastest-ever World Cup century against Sri Lanka today (October 7), bringing up the record with a six over square leg to reach three figures off 49 balls.

South Africa launched a blistering attack on Sri Lanka in their tournament opener in Delhi. Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen both hit centuries before Markram began his assault. The No.4 came to the crease in the 30th over with South Africa already 214-2 and on track for a huge score.

He quickly kicked into gear, hitting a four off his tenth ball at the crease before whacking three consecutive boundaries off Dilshan Madushanka in the following over. Now joined by the explosive Heinrich Klaasen at the crease, Markram reached his first World Cup fifty off 35 balls with another four. Just 14 balls later, he celebrated his first hundred in the tournament.

He tore into Matheesha Pathirana the over after reaching his fifty, taking 20 runs off the bat to go along with five wides. Pathirana ended up conceding 26 runs off that over. Markram hit another six off Kasun Rajitha in the following over, before breaking into the nineties.

He went from 90 to 102 within the space of three balls, taking two, four and then six off Madushanka. The maximum came off a short ball which Markram heaved over square leg and into the advertising boards. That gave Markram his third hundred of the year and fastest in World Cup history. He beat Kevin O’Brien’s record by one ball, which had stood since 2011 when Ireland famously beat England in Bengaluru.

The fastest South Africa century on the list before Markram’s innings was AB de Villers, who hit a 52-ball ton against the West Indies in 2015. Markram was out soon after reaching three figures for 106. South Africa went on to post the highest World Cup total of all time, 428-5.

Watch: Aiden Markram reaches fastest World Cup century of all time

 

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