Aiden Markram Creates History

CricDiary: South Africa vice-captain Aiden Markram lit up Headingley in the first one-day-international (ODI) of the three-match series against England on 2 September. He smashed the fastest ODI half-century in just 23 balls.

Markram targeted England debutant Sonny Baker in particular, with three boundaries in the first over and two sixes plus a four in the second, challenging him relentlessly. His aggressive batting helped South Africa reach the 50-run mark by the sixth over. It was their third-fastest ODI fifty ever, and the quickest by a South African against England. Markram broke Chris Morris’s previous record (30 balls in 2016).

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Markram went on to score 86 off 55 balls, anchoring a confident 121-run opening stand with Ryan Rickelton (31* off 59 balls) in just 18.1 overs. South Africa won the game emphatically with seven wickets in hand and 175 balls to spare.

Earlier, England looked set for a big score, when they reached 82/2 in the 14th over. However, a dramatic collapse followed, with the hosts losing the last eight wickets for just 49 runs. England were  bowled out for 131. Keshav Maharaj took 4/22 and dismantled the England middle-lower order.

Pic: Getty Images