South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen proved his prowess in scorching conditions before the champions collapsed
he Wankhede Stadium witnessed some of the bravest batting seen in a one-day international. Unfortunately for England, it wasn’t by them. Their innings lasted 22 overs and just under two hours. Heinrich Klaasen was at the crease for longer than all their batters combined.
For much of South Africa’s innings the thermometer showed 36C, but the humidity made it feel far hotter. Rassie van der Dussen’s shirt was sporting the Aston Villa wet look even before he reached his half-century. It was later hanging on the South African balcony along with his socks and trousers, in the hope his clothes would dry out before he took to the field again. Not a whiff of breeze stirred them.
The South Africa batting, however, seemed to keep accessing new power levels. Having established a foundation with Van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks went violently after Joe Root; Aiden Markram hit a cover drive so hard it knocked Dawid Malan off his feet. Klaasen punched his way to 50 with a boundary off Reece Topley, then licked a dry tongue across his lips and smacked the next over extra cover.
The next ball, just as fast, aimed once more at his toes. With an effort beyond human comprehension, Klaasen sent it soaring back over the long-on boundary. The next delivery was swung legside to bring up his century.Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings , then Notifications.
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