Heinrich Klaasen batted through the pain barrier in Mumbai to make a brilliant century as South Africa posted a colossal 399-7 in a crunch World Cup match against struggling champions England on Saturday.
It was the highest total England, desperate for a win after losing two of the first three matches of their title defence, had conceded in any ODI, surpassing the 398-5 made by New Zealand at The Oval in 2015.
Klaasen, repeatedly troubled by cramp on a hot and humid day at the Wankhede Stadium, hit a six and a four off successive deliveries from fast bowler Mark Wood to complete a 61-ball hundred – only his fourth in 45 ODIs.
He was eventually out for 109 when bowled by Gus Atkinson in the last over, having struck 12 fours and four sixes in total.
Klaasen received brilliant support from Marco Jansen in a sixth-wicket stand of 151 in just 77 balls.
Jansen, better known as a left-arm quick bowler, finished on 75* – his maiden ODI fifty – having struck three fours and six sixes with shots worthy of a top-order batsman.
The Proteas, looking to bounce back from a shock loss to non-Test side the Netherlands, ran riot as they scored 143 off the last 10 overs after losing the toss.
Reece Topley took three wickets but conceded 88 runs in 8.5 overs, with express quick Wood going for 76 in a wicketless seven-over spell during a barrage of boundaries.
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South Africa’s Quinton de Kock was caught behind off just the second ball of the innings.
But opener Reeza Hendricks, who only received a late call-up after Proteas captain Temba Bavuma was ruled out through illness, marked his return with 85 and shared a second-wicket stand of 121 with Rassie van der Dussen (60).
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid removed both Van der Dussen and Hendricks, with England bidding to get their title defence back on track after a shock loss to Afghanistan last time out.
But he could only watch as Jansen smashed two successive sixes off Topley full-tosses.
England brought in talismanic Ben Stokes for his first game of the tournament after being sidelined with a hip injury.
Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty Images
