South Australia's Redbacks' Jake Fraser-McGurk made everyone look him on the internet on Sunday, October 8 after smashing a 29-ball century amid carnage at the Adelaide Oval against Tasmania in the Marsh Cup. The 21-year-old uncapped Australian batter was single-handedly responsible for the Redbacks staying alive in the match after Tasmania scored 435 runs batting first in the game.
Fraser-McGurk, however, was ready to go for the target, despite it looking to be too steep a chase. He smacked an 18-ball fifty before getting the second fifty in just 11 balls to break a world record in List-A or even T20 cricket for the fastest century. Chris Gayle had the fastest century in T20 cricket while AB de Villiers had the record to his name in List-A cricket having smashed a 31-ball hundred against West Indies in 2015.
Fastest century in List-A cricket (all 50-over format games) history (number of balls)
29 - Jake Fraser-McGurk (South Australia v Tasmania), 2023
31 - AB de Villiers (South Africa v West Indies), 2015
36 - Corey Anderson (New Zealand v West Indies), 2014
36 - Graham Rose (Somerset v Devon), 1990
37 - Shahid Afridi (Pakistan vs Sri Lanka), 1996
38 - Rovman Powell (Jamaica v Leeward Islands), 2019
Fraser-McGurk kept going with his belligerent knock even after getting to his century but got out after scoring 125 runs. His 125 came off just 38-ball in a jaw-dropping knock as he hit 10 fours and 13 sixes. When Fraser-McGurk got out, the Redbacks had scored 172 runs in just 11.4 overs but lost the remaining nine wickets for 226 runs as the home team was bowled out for 398. Chasing 436 was always going to be difficult but Fraser-McGurk's extraordinary hitting gave them hope. However, it wasn't to be as Tasmania ultimately won the game by 37 runs.
