Young Australian cricketer Jake Fraser-McGurk etched his name in the record books on Sunday by surpassing AB de Villiers‘ long-standing record for the fastest List-A century. The 21-year-old achieved this milestone in a mere 29 deliveries while playing for South Australia against Tasmania at Adelaide’s Karen Rolton Oval.
His lightning-fast century was part of South Australia’s pursuit of a monumental target of 436 runs set by Tasmania in the first innings. Fraser-McGurk concluded his innings with a remarkable 125 runs from just 38 balls, which included 10 boundaries and an impressive 13 sixes as he opened the batting. South Australia got off to a blistering start, amassing 172 runs in just 11.4 overs, making a formidable push towards the target. However, they ultimately fell short by 37 runs in the Marsh Cup encounter.
Watch Jake Fraser-McGurk Innings Here:
A century in 60 seconds!
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 8, 2023
All 29 balls it took Jake Fraser-McGurk to reach his hundred today #MarshCup pic.twitter.com/tzpFtpr0ww
Fraser-McGurk reached the coveted century mark in the ninth over of the innings, sending a strong scare to the Tasmanian team. Reflecting on his extraordinary performance and named Player of the Match during the post-match presentation, the young cricketer shared his thoughts.
“I went out there with some good intent, had my plans and process, and seemed like everything went my way.”
Fan’s Reactions after the Unbelievable Knock:
Today, we got to whitness Jake Fraser-McGurk hit the fastest List A hundred ever! 29 balls, with 12 sixes and 6 fours, in less than 40 minutes. Huge! 👏🏼👏🏼 #MarshCup #BackTheBacks pic.twitter.com/9IbiMwFbm2
— Kristy Slater (@KristySlater) October 8, 2023
A century in 29 balls! Jake Fraser-McGurk has hit the fastest List A hundred EVER!pic.twitter.com/BNNUpUHnOc
— Ashish Magotra (@clutchplay) October 8, 2023
Jake Fraser-McGurk has just blasted the FASTEST EVER ton in List A cricket (29 balls), surpassing AB de Villiers' record (31 balls) 🤯
— Dylan Bolch (@BolchDylan) October 8, 2023
Check out all the highlights now (Pt 1)👇 #MarshCup pic.twitter.com/XkSYok31LH
Jake Fraser-McGurk was playing Stick Cricket out there, a world-record 29-ball century!#MarshCup pic.twitter.com/NJkQqkm9Sd
— Lachlan McKirdy (@LMcKirdy7) October 8, 2023
Jake Fraser McGurk scored the fastest List A century in just 29 balls in the Marsh Cup.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 8, 2023
Smashed 125 (38) with 10 fours and 13 sixes – got out in the 12th over itself in the 50 overs game. Carnage from Jake McGurk! pic.twitter.com/rzIrBvn4oL
Jake Fraser-McGurk continues to give us interesting stories. 100 off 29 balls for South Australia, the fastest ever in List A cricket. He played in U19 World Cup 2020 but had to leave the tournament after being scratched on the face by a monkey.
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) October 8, 2023
Let’s have a look at the top 3 facts about Jake Fraser-McGurk
1. He achieved a half-century during his debut in both List-A and first-class cricket:
At the age of 17, Jake Fraser-McGurk made his debut in the Sheffield Shield, becoming Victoria’s third-youngest debutant in the competition’s history. In an impressive start to his first-class career, he notched a fifty. Unfortunately, his remarkable performance came in a match that Victoria ultimately lost to Queensland.
Shortly after his first-class debut, he made his List-A debut and continued to shine. Once again, he secured a half-century, this time scoring 54 runs from 49 deliveries. This outstanding performance played a crucial role as Victoria managed to secure a narrow victory against New South Wales, winning by a margin of six runs.
2. He executed one of the most remarkable catches in the 2021-22 BBL season:
Besides his role as a batsman and a versatile bowler, Jake Fraser-McGurk is a phenomenal presence in the field. In a relatively short period, he has garnered attention for his exceptional fielding skills, particularly near the boundary. The talented young cricketer has showcased his ability to take breathtaking catches.
While representing the Melbourne Renegades in the 2021-22 Big Bash League (BBL) season against the Adelaide Strikers, Fraser-McGurk executed a remarkable catch. Jake Weatherald executed a superb slog sweep, but the young fielder stationed deep timed his jump perfectly, stretching to the fullest to pluck the ball out of the air at the very edge.
3. He earned a place in Australia’s roster for the 2020 Under-19 World Cup:
The skilled batsman represented Australia in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup hosted in South Africa. The team featured several emerging talents such as Todd Murphy and Tanveer Sangha, both of whom have since made their debuts in senior international cricket. During the tournament, Jake Fraser-McGurk played a pivotal role, particularly in the team’s opening match against West Indies, where he top-scored with 84 runs off 97 deliveries. Unfortunately, Australia was bowled out for 179 in that game. Throughout the tournament, he accumulated a total of 118 runs across four matches, maintaining a strike rate of 96.72.
Regrettably, Australia’s journey in the competition came to an end after they suffered a quarter-final loss to eventual finalists India.
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