Young talent from the Proteas team, Jordan Harman, believes that his luck throughout his international career is linked to the presence of his girlfriend, Inge Kroog. Harman scored 150 runs in his debut ODI match for the Proteas in Windhoek on Wednesday.
This score matched the record set by Matthew Brightzeke, which was established in South Africa during the team's victory over Namibia with a score of 99 runs. The left-hander believes that his good fortune was due to Kroog being in the stands.
After the match, Harman stated: 'My girlfriend was here too. I think she is some kind of lucky charm.' Despite the left-hander being caught in a brief moment near his crease by a direct throw at the non-striker's end, the field umpires did not count it as an out. Since DRS was unavailable in Windhoek, the decision stood, and Harman managed to benefit from this moment.
Details of the record performance
Harman continued his journey from fifty to a century, and then to 150 runs, doing so off 126 balls, scoring 17 fours and 3 sixes. He became increasingly aggressive, increasing the number of boundaries through scoops and drives after reaching three hundred runs.
Harman noted: 'It is an incredibly special feeling. My whole life I was taught that you cannot just stop at a hundred; you must try to go further. I think the conditions of the game also demanded this, so not just scoring a hundred, but continuing to push.' He added that he did not want to give Namibia a chance, as they are a good team, and aimed to prevent any moments that could be used against him, and was glad that he managed to achieve this, putting the team in a winning position.
For most of the time spent at the batting crease, Harman played alongside Tony de Zorzi, and this pair scored 190 runs off 167 balls in the second wicket, with de Zorzi making a solid 72 runs—a timely return to form after a recent T20I series. Harman, who previously played with de Zorzi in Sunrisers Eastern Cape, was grateful for this experience on the other side during difficult middle overs.
He emphasized: 'I think we communicated well. It was a tough phase. I believe that if we lose two wickets there, it gives them hope.' He also noted that Tony had played a lot of international cricket, so there was no pressure, and they followed their plan.
Significance of this achievement
The support from the stands contributed to South Africa scoring 348/6, which Namibia, setting a revised DLS target of 262 runs, failed to reach, finishing the game at 162/8. Thus, the Proteas gained a 1-0 advantage in the three-match series, and Harman was named player of the match.
The achievement of 150 runs made Harman and Brightzeke the only players in men's ODI history to score 150 runs on debut. This coincidence did not go unnoticed by the player, who shared the dressing room with Brightzeke in Warriors, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, and now in the Proteas.
Harman shared his joy: 'It is really cool to share this with him. I played a lot with Matty. So it's great now to share the dressing room in the Proteas thanks to all the success he achieved in ODI format and with the Proteas.'