South Australia’s Jake Fraser-McGurk made history by breaking the record for the fastest century in List-A cricket. He achieved this feat in a Marsh One Day Cup match against Tasmania, reaching his century in just 29 balls. The previous record was held by South African legend AB de Villiers, who scored a century in 31 balls against the West Indies in 2015.
List-A cricket includes both domestic and international matches, with a format that ranges from forty to sixty overs. While De Villiers still holds the record for the fastest century in a one-day international match, Jake now holds the record for the fastest century in the 30-50 over white-ball cricket, which includes both international and domestic level games.
In the match against Tasmania, South Australia’s opposition, the team scored an impressive 435/9 in their 50 overs. Tasmania’s skipper Jordan Silk, Caleb Jewell, and Macalister Wright contributed significantly to their team’s total. In response, Jake opened the innings for South Australia and wasted no time in making his mark.
From the very first ball, Jake displayed an aggressive style of play, leading his team to the 50-run mark in just 3.2 overs and the 100-run mark in only seven overs. He reached his fifty in just 18 balls, hitting five fours and five sixes, making it the fastest fifty by an Australian batter in any 50-over cricket. Jake then went on to reach his century in just 29 balls, hitting six fours and 12 sixes.
Unfortunately, Jake was eventually dismissed for 125 runs in just 38 balls, with 10 fours and 13 sixes. His runs came at an astounding strike rate of 328.94. At the time of his dismissal, South Australia was 172/1 in just 11.4 overs. Despite half-centuries from Nathan McSweeney, Daniel Drew, and Henry Hunt, South Australia could only manage a total of 398 runs in 46.4 overs, falling short by 37 runs.
It’s worth mentioning that the fastest T20I century is held by Kushal Malla of Nepal, who achieved it in 34 balls against Mongolia in the recently-concluded Asian Games. However, even in comparison to that record, Jake still holds the title for the fastest century in all of white-ball cricket, including 30-50 over matches and T20 cricket.