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The Durban's Super Giants (DSG) have solidified their position on top of the SA20 2024 points table after steamrolling past the Paarl Royals (PR) by 125 runs on Sunday, January 28.
Batting first at their home ground, Kingsmead, DSG lost Quinton de Kock and Tony de Zorzi inside the powerplay. However, Matthew Breetzke stood tall and didn't let much pressure creep into the batting line-up.
Breetzke made 78 off 43 but was dismissed in the 17th over. Then came Heinrich Klaasen, who wreaked havoc. Klaasen hit some great shots and broke the record for smashing the fastest half-century in SA20 history.
He got to his milestone in just 16 balls, thus creating history in one of the hottest T20 franchise leagues going around.
On that note, let's take a brief look at the top five fastest fifties in SA20 history.
#5 Will Jacks - 19 balls vs MICT, 2023
Will Jacks has been one of the best opening batters in SA20. In fact, he is the highest run-getter among non-South Africans in the league (across both the editions).
Jacks' strike rate of 192.67 is also the best in the tournament's history. He is a hard-hitting top-order player, who likes to dominate from the get-go.
One of his brisk innings came in the 20th game of SA20 2023 against MI Cape Town (MICT). Against the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Jofra Archer, Jacks made 62 off only 27 balls.
He hit five boundaries and as many sixes. Jacks got his fifty in only 19 balls, registering the fastest fifty for the Pretoria Capitals (PC).
#4 Faf du Plessis - 19 balls vs PC, 2023
Joburg Super Kings (JSK) captain Faf du Plessis is having a mediocre SA20 2024. He has struggled for timing all through the ongoing campaign and has made only 74 runs across six games.
However, Du Plessis was magnificent in the inaugural edition of the tournament as he ended up as the second-highest run-getter with 369 runs in 10 innings. The former Proteas skipper made a couple of half-centuries last year, including a 19-ball fifty.
His explosive innings came against the Pretoria Capitals in Centurion. Faf made all his fifty runs inside the powerplay before getting out on 51 in the seventh over.
His dismissal led to a collapse for JSK as they lost their next eight wickets for 43 runs. The Capitals eventually won the game by six wickets.
#3 Heinrich Klaasen - 19 balls vs PR, 2023
It seems Heinrich Klaasen loves batting against the Paarl Royals, as he hammered a 19-ball fifty against them last year as well.
Coming to bat after the 14th-over mark, Klaasen struck well since the start. However, it was in the ultimate over of the innings that he completely turned the game on its head.
The last over bowled by Ferisco Adams saw Klaasen deposit four huge sixes into the stands. It took Durban's' first-innings total to 216/4, and Klaasen remained unbeaten at 50 off 19 balls.
Despite Eoin Morgan's 64 (off 37) in the second innings, the Super Giants won the game by 27 runs, and Klaasen deservingly won the Player of the Match award.
#2 Donovan Ferreira - 18 balls vs PC, 2024
The Joburg Super Kings were without a single win when they hosted the Pretoria Capitals for Match 13 of the ongoing SA20 2024.
In the first innings, PC batted 167 on a surface that had spice for the bowlers. The Super Kings were in all kinds of trouble when they lost the top four batters, with just 96 runs on the board.
JSK still required 54 off their last 29 balls when Donovan Ferreira and Moeen Ali joined forces to take their side over the finish line. Ferreira, in particular, was quite magnificent, as he took the game by the scruff of the neck and smashed an 18-ball fifty.
The wicketkeeper-batter hit seven fours and three sixes, and finished the run-chase with as many as two overs to spare.
#1 Heinrich Klaasen - 16 balls vs PR, 2024
Heinrich Klaasen bettered Donovan Ferreira's record by two balls as he hammered the Paarl Royals bowlers all around the park on Sunday.
The middle-order batter has built a reputation for being a six-hitting machine, as he enjoys a strike rate of over 207 in SA20 2024.
Klaasen's ability to judge the length quite early makes him a threatening prospect, especially against spinners. The Royals handed Klaasen an opportunity to begin his onslaught by giving the 19th over to left-arm spinner Fabian Allen.
Klaasen hit the Caribbean tweaker for three consecutive sixes, which fueled his straight into the sixth gear. He then accumulated 24 more runs with the bat on the last over bowled by Obed McCoy.
In total, Klaasen belted two fours and six maximums and finished his innings at a strike rate of 294.12.
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