Young Aussie batter smashes cricket world record

October 8, 2023
10:42 am

Jake Fraser-McGurk has blasted his way through all manner of records, including the world record for fastest century, by posting a ton off 29 deliveries en route to a stunning 125 off 38 balls in a one-day game for South Australia.

Fraser-McGurk, the 21-year-old Australian batting wunderkind who moved away from Victoria in the off-season after being offered a rich contract by South Australia, smacked Tasmania at the admittedly pocket-sized Karen Rolton Oval on Sunday.

Opening the batting for the Redbacks after Tasmania had posted a gargantuan 435 batting first – an Australian domestic one-day record score in itself – McGurk took 32 runs from the second over of the chase, bowled by Sam Rainbird, and ran to 50 from 18 balls before he really got going.

In the space of 11 balls, McGurk scored six, six, dot, dot, six, six, six, six, six, four to sprint to his century, beating de Villiers’ 31-ball century for South Africa against the West Indies in Johannesburg in 2014-15 for the fastest ever hundred in a 50-over game.

At 29 balls, Fraser-McGurk also surpassed Gayle’s 30-ball century for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League in 2013, the fastest in Twenty20 records.

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South Australia batter Jake Fraser-McGurk hits out during his record-breaking knock in Adelaide.

And Fraser-McGurk’s performance also surpassed David Hookes’ legendary 34-ball century for South Australia against Victoria in a Sheffield Shield match in Adelaide in 1982, considered the fastest first-class hundred of all time against authentic bowling that was not devised to tempt a declaration.

The innings was an encapsulation of Fraser-McGurk’s undoubted ball-striking talent, first identified by former Victoria talent spotter Andrew Lynch when he was 13. A state debut followed in 2019 at the age of just 18, but Fraser-McGurk’s returns dropped after a pair of debut half centuries in red- and white-ball matches.

When SA came calling in the winter with a sizeable contract offer, Fraser-McGurk was happy to take the chance for a change of scene, although he has re-signed to play for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League over December and January.

Mark Brake/Getty Images

Jake Fraser-McGurk is all smiles after bringing up his century in just 29 deliveries at Karen Rolton Oval.

His talent, but also its frustrations, were encapsulated during his first Sheffield Shield innings for the Redbacks, also against Tasmania, charging to 37 in 22 balls before miscuing the off-spin of Jarrod Freeman to long-on. A second innings of 29 was similarly fleeting.

But in a white-ball game on a pristine pitch, Fraser-McGurk showed that he has the ability to change games. He has, in the space of a crowded hour on Sunday afternoon, already rewritten the record books.

AT A GLANCE