Heinrich Klaasen, who plays for Seattle Orcas in the inaugural edition of Major League Cricket 2023 has hit the first-ever century of MLC. He also guided his team in a terrific run chase against Mumbai Indians New York in a thrilling encounter.
Heinrich Klaasen, who has been in his ridiculous batting form this year has been smashing the bowler since the start of this year. Earlier in the IPL, he hit his maiden century against RCB and it was the moment of his career when he found the momentum he was looking for. He is in ridiculous form with his bat, he has already hit a century in the SA20 tournament this year and one against the West Indies.
This South African Batter playing from Seattle Orcas in MLC became the first player to hit the first hundred in the inaugural edition of the tournament on Wednesday. He showed no mercy on any bowler of MI New York to smash a boundary and completed his breathtaking century in just 41 balls.
Klaasen showed no mercy to the star bowler of MI New York, Rashid Khan, who was clueless about him. Klaasen smashed 26 from his single over to hit the first-ever hundred in Major League Cricket (MLC) as his team chased down the 195-run target against Mumbai Indians New York with four balls to spare.
Rashid Khan getting such treatment was a rare instance and the clean hitting for Klaasen lit up Church Street Park in Morrisville. In total, Klaasen scored unbeaten 110 runs off 44 balls and blasted four sixes off the star Afghanistan leg-spinner. He hit nine four and seven sixes during his brilliant knock.
Earlier in the match, after being invited to bat first, MI New York posted a formidable 194/8 in their 20 overs. Their innings was anchored by West Indian southpaw Nicholas Pooran, who hammered the Seattle Orcas bowlers all over the ground and scored a blistering 68 runs off just 34 balls. Skipper Pollard played a crucial short cameo of 34 runs off 18 balls, but it was Boult’s 20 runs off the last 6 balls in the last over that turned the tables for MI and helped them to cross 190 run mark. Imad Wasim and Harmeet Singh bagged a couple of wickets for Orcas.
In pursuit of this run-chase, Seattle Orcas started their innings on a lackluster note as they lost their opener Quinton de Kock and Shehan Jayasuriya for 9 and 0 runs respectively. Then Nauman Anwar and Heinrich Klaasen started the rescue work and they took no time in taking the game away from MI’s hand. Klaasen scoring a power-striking century was a sight to behold. Despite this loss, MI New York has qualified for the playoffs.
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