Pure class oozed from the willow of Proteas batter Heinrich Klaasen who, with his whirlwind 119* (61 balls), led South Africa to a four-wicket win against the West Indies in the third One Day International at the J.B. Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Tuesday, 21 March.

It was an innings that will stay entrenched in the memory of many cricket fans in Potchefstroom, not only because it brought victory but also because of its dominance.

Photos: Barco Greeff

1. Klaasen stepped up and hit 15 fours and 5 sixes, showing no mercy for the Windies bowlers, who, up until his arrival, had rattled the SA batsmen a bit.

 2. Alzarri Joseph (3/50) was the pick of the West Indies bowlers and dismissed Ryan Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen cheaply. When stand-in captain Aiden Markram was dismissed for 25 off the bowling of Kyle Mayers, it brought the man of the moment to the crease.

3. Klaasen was in another class entirely, as everything seemed to hit the middle of his bat, almost like hitting a beach ball. He reached his century in only 54 balls, as he and Marco Jansen (43 off 33 balls) put together a match-defining 103-run partnership in double-quick time.

 “It was one of those days when the first few shots went into the gap. I capitalised on a couple of loose deliveries, and that set the tempo for the rest of the innings. When the conditions are good, you need to play through and play each ball on its merit,” added Klaasen.

South Africa needed 261 for victory after earlier bowling West Indies out for 260, thanks to a combined bowling effort where spin and pace did the job.

 4. Marco Jansen (2/46) and Bjorn Fortuin (2/46) were the best bowlers for SA on the day. Markram also impressed the spectators with tidy figures of 1/30 from 10 overs.

 5. Brandon King, the West Indies opener, scored a brilliant 72 (72), but the rest of the West Indian batsmen could not capitalise on good starts, losing wickets at key moments.

Stat of the day:

 Of the past 9 One Day Internationals that South Africa has played in Potchefstroom, they have won 7, lost only once (against New Zealand in 2015), and tied one match against Australia in 2002. That is a win percentage of 78% and shows that the J.B. Marks Oval is undoubtedly a happy hunting ground.

The West Indies seemed to wilt in front of the pressure and noise at the ground, while the Proteas blossomed with the full support of the home fans.

The bowling and batting from the West Indies had a similar trend, with a strong start in both innings before letting their grip slip until eventually falling to defeat.

West Indies captain, Shai Hope, said his side had chances to win but could not get the vital breakthroughs they required.

 “We must credit Klaasen for his innings; it was outstanding. I felt we were still in the game, but it seemed every shot hit the middle of his bat,” stated Hope.

The ODI series is now shared 1-1 between the West Indies and South Africa.

The two sides next face each other in three T20 matches starting in Centurion on Saturday, 25 March.