South Africa all-rounder Marco Jansen produced a memorable all-round performance as the Proteas defeated Australia by 69 runs in the first ODI at Kingsmead Stadium in Durban on Thursday, September 24. The victory gave South Africa a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Jansen played a crucial role with both bat and ball and also impressed in the field. He scored 75 runs from 59 balls before taking one wicket and completing four catches during Australia’s chase. Jansen’s 75-run knock came after South Africa were reduced to 168-5. He then added 107 runs with Matthew Breetzke, who went on to score a century, as South Africa posted 297 runs.
His performance saw him join an elite list in ODI cricket. With the ball, Jansen dismissed Travis Head, while his four catches accounted for Josh Inglis, Matt Renshaw, Jack Edwards and Mitchell Starc. Jansen’s contribution in the field was equally important. His spectacular catch to dismiss Matt Renshaw became one of the talking points of the match. Stationed at fine leg, Jansen dived low and completed a one-handed catch with his right hand. Replays showed that he managed to hold on to the ball with just his thumb and index finger.
Jansen became only the fifth player to record at least 50 runs, four catches and one wicket in the same ODI. Sachin Tendulkar was the first player to achieve the combination, doing so against Pakistan in 1998. The 26-year-old’s performance also made him the first South African and the first player against Australia to achieve the 50-run, four-catch and one-wicket combination in an ODI on South African soil. Jansen’s all-round display capped a dominant performance from South Africa, who successfully defended their total to secure a 69-run victory and take the early advantage in the three-match ODI series against Australia.
