NEW DELHI: South Africa's emerging star Matthew Breetzke etched his name into the record books by achieving a feat never before attained in ODI cricket. The right-handed batter, who has already made his mark on the international stage, continued his sublime form with an 88-run knock against Australia in the second ODI on Friday.
With a 78-ball innings laced with eight fours and two sixes, Breetzke created history by becoming the first batter in ODI cricket to begin his career with four consecutive fifty-plus scores. The South African opener already owns a world record, having registered the highest score on ODI debut - a stunning 150 against New Zealand in Lahore earlier this year during the tri-series.
However, former India opener Navjot Singh Sidhu had also begun his career with four successive fifty-plus scores, though his feat came in five ODIs as he did not get a chance to bat in his third match.
In this series against Australia, Breetzke has batted at No. 4, backing up his 57 in Cairns with another strong performance. The exciting talent, who earned an IPL contract and made his debut for Lucknow Super Giants earlier this year, has now established himself as a versatile option capable of covering multiple positions in the Proteas’ batting order. His form may well have pushed him firmly into contention for the 2027 home World Cup.
Matthew Breetzke's first four ODI matches so far:
150(148) vs New Zealand, Lahore
83(84) vs Pakistan, Karachi
57(56) vs Australia, Cairns
88(78) vs Australia, Mackay
Sidhu achieved the milestone during the 1987 World Cup, registering scores of 73 against Australia, 75 against New Zealand, 51 against Australia, and 55 against Zimbabwe in his first four ODI innings.
