‘Best I’ve batted,’ says Breetzke after record 150 for Proteas

Talk about taking your chance.

Proteas opener Matthew Breetzke broke a 47-year-old batting record in Lahore, Pakistan, on Monday, scoring a stunning 150 on his One Day International debut, though it was not enough to prevent New Zealand from winning the tri-series match by six wickets.

Breetzke’s score was the highest ever produced on debut in ODI cricket, surpassing the 148 scored on debut by West India’s Desmond Haynes in Antigua in 1978.

The 26-year-old score was also the fourth century scored by a South African on debut, the others coming from Reeza Hendricks, Tony de Zorzi and Colin Ingram.

Williamson, Conway take game away from SA

Despite Breetzke’s excellent knock, which included 11 fours and five sixes, as well as good contributions from Jason Smith, who hit 41 off 51, and Wiaan Mulder, who hit 64 off 60, the Proteas were well beaten.

After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, a weakened Proteas team missing several first-choice players, ahead of the Champions Trophy starting next week, posted 304/6 in their 50 overs.

New Zealand reached their target with eight balls to spare and just four wickets down, as Kane Williamson, who played alongside Breetzke at Durban’s Super Giants in the recent SA20, hit 133 not out off 113 balls, while Devon Conway, who played for the Joburg Super Kings in the SA20, scored 97.

Breetzke, who has played one Test and 10 T20s, had a poor recent SA20 campaign, scoring just 117 runs in seven knocks, at an average of 16.71 and highest score of 33.

He won’t feature at the Champions Trophy but in the absence of men such as De Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen showed what he is capable of at the top of the order.

‘They were too good for us’

“It’s probably the best I’ve batted in one day cricket,” said Breetzke after his innings.

“It was tough out there in the first hour and my mindset was to just get through the first 10 overs and then kick on. Luckily it worked out for me today.”

Though pleased with his performance, Breetzke said he was disappointed the Proteas didn’t win the game.

“It’s very disappointing we lost. I was bleak out there in the field. I wanted the win, it would have made it (scoring 150) a bit more special,” he said.

“But that’s how cricket goes. There’s nothing we could do.

“It got better to bat on that wicket as the game went on and we came up against two quality cricketers there (Williamson and Conway). The bowlers tried hard, we did nothing wrong tactically, they were just too good for us.

“We move on and hopefully can get the win in our next game.”

The Proteas face Pakistan in Karachi on Wednesday in a must-win game if they’re to advance to the final of this tri-series. New Zealand have already qualified after beating Pakistan and South Africa.