Adam Zampa equalled the world record for the most expensive men’s ODI bowling figures in history after Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller unleashed a brutal assault in the fourth ODI of the series between South Africa and Australia.
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South Africa were 195-4 when Miller joined Klaasen out in the middle at Centurion. At that point, Klaasen was on 45 off 35 balls, with Rassie van der Dussen the departing batter for a 65-ball 62. It also worth noting that at this point, Zampa’s figures were 0-50 off six overs.
Miller hit his first six off the first ball of the next over, with Klaasen hitting another six off the first ball of the next. They went on to hit 17 sixes between them in a 222-run stand from just 94 balls, only broken when Klaasen holed out on the final ball of the innings. The partnership was the fastest double-century stand in men’s ODI history by a staggering distance. They scored at 14.47 runs per over, more than four runs per over faster than the 10.03 rpo managed by Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan against the West Indies in 2019. It was also the third-highest fifth-wicket partnership in ODI history, Miller also being one-half of the 256-run record.
Klaasen finished his innings on 174, which is the fourth-highest men’s ODI score for South Africa. Gary Kirsten holds the national record of 188*, with Faf du Plessis (185) and Quinton de Kock (178) also above Klaasen. His innings was also the second-highest in men’s ODI history for a batter coming in at No.5 or lower, and the highest for an innings which started after the 25th over.
Miller and Klaasen’s partnership took South Africa to a total of 416-5. 268 runs came from the final 20 overs of South Africa’s innings, with Miller finishing on 82 off 45 balls. It’s South Africa’s fourth-highest men’s ODI total, the highest being 439-2 against the West Indies in 2015. 438-9 and 438-4 against Australia in 2006 and India in 2016 respectively also come above today’s innings on the list.
When David Miller came to the crease, South Africa were 194-4 after 34.4 overs.
What followed was a brutal partnership between Miller and Heinrich Klaasen which powered South Africa to a mammoth 416-5 🤯
Absurd hitting at Centurion 💥#SAvAUS pic.twitter.com/HIckoRN8u3
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 15, 2023
Adam Zampa bore the brunt of Klaasen and Miller’s hitting. He finished with figures of 0-113 off ten overs, the joint most expensive figures in men’s ODI history. His partner at the top of the list is Mick Lewis, who suffered the same figure against South Africa in 2006. Seven boundaries, including five sixes, came off his final two overs, mostly plundered by Klaasen. In total, Zampa conceded 17 boundaries in his ten overs, nine of them sixes.
