Heinrich Klaasen is enjoying probably the best phase of his cricketing career. Emerging from the shadows of Quinton de Kock, Klaasen made a comeback into the South African side just as a pure batter and now has become one of the most indispensable members of the team. Now in 2023, Klassen just can't stop scoring centuries. After hitting tons in SA20, ODI and the IPL, Klaasen became the first centurion of Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA playing for the Seattle Orcas.
Chasing 195 against MI New York, Orcas kept losing wickets at regular intervals even though opener MNauman Anwar held one end while smashing a 30-ball half-century. After losing two wickets inside the powerplay, Anwar was joined by Klaasen, who was batting in a different dimension. The duo kept smashing the MINY bowlers before Anwar got out immediately after his fifty. After which, it was MINY vs Klaasen. All the other batters kept getting out and Klaasen at the other end was smashing the ball out of the ground.
Klaasen was in a zone where the field, the ball, the bowler didn't matter. The bowlers kept running in and he was smashing before going into an overdrive against Rashid Khan. Klaasen was batting on 64 off 30 before he hit three sixes and a boundary against Rashid Khan, accumulating 26 runs in the over as he was batting on 90 off 36.
Trent Boult then changed the game in one over getting three wickets leaving Orcas needing 17 runs off the last two overs with just two wickets remaining. Klaasen hit a couple of boundaries in the next over to complete the first-ever MLC hundred before finishing it off in the final over with a six to cap off a sensational win and knock for Seattle Orcas. Orcas ended the league stage with four wins and will now take on the Texas Super Kings in Qualifier 1.
