South African opener Matthew Breetzke accomplished a remarkable milestone on his ODI debut against New Zealand in the tri-series match in Lahore on Monday, February 10. The right-hander set a new benchmark by becoming the first-ever batter to score 150 on ODI debut, surpassing a 47-year-old record.
The 26-year-old played an impressive innings, facing 148 deliveries and striking five sixes along with 11 boundaries. In doing so, he eclipsed the previous record set by Desmond Haynes, who had scored 148 against Australia on his ODI debut in 1978.
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Breetzke became the fourth South African batter to score a century on his ODI debut, joining Colin Ingram (124 vs. Zimbabwe in 2010), Temba Bavuma (113 vs. Ireland in 2016), and Reeza Hendricks (102 vs. Sri Lanka in 2018). Additionally, he is the 19th player overall to achieve this feat in ODI history.
Among Indian players, KL Rahul remains the only one to have scored a century on debut, achieving the milestone against Zimbabwe in 2016. Breetzke has also been a consistent performer in domestic cricket, amassing eight centuries and 16 half-centuries in first-class matches. In List-A cricket, he has recorded one century and 10 fifties.
Breetzke’s 150 Powers South Africa to 305 vs New Zealand
A superb batting effort from Matthew Breetzke powered South Africa to 304/6 against New Zealand in the ongoing match in Lahore. The opener built crucial partnerships of 93 runs with Jason Smith and 131 runs with Wiaan Mulder for the second and fourth wickets, respectively.
Mulder contributed 64 off 60 balls, while Smith added 41 from 51 deliveries. For New Zealand, Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke impressed with two wickets each, while Michael Bracewell picked up one. Skipper Mitchell Santner also played a role by running out Smith.
New Zealand enter the match after a commanding 78-run win over Pakistan and will look to extend their winning streak ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Meanwhile, South Africa aim to bounce back after a 0-3 ODI series defeat to Pakistan at home in December.
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