Matthew Breetzke joins three other Proteas who have scored five consecutive half-centuries: Jonty Rhodes, Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen. Photo: File
During the second ODI of the series against England, on Thursday 4 September, Matthew Breetzke scored a blistering 85, which both helped the Proteas to secure a series win and earned the batsman man of the match honours.
This series win is particularly significant as it is the first time since 1998 that the Proteas have beaten England in an ODI series in the UK. For context, Breetzke was not even born when that series occurred.
This win, following the series win in Australia, has put the world on notice that the Proteas should not be taken lightly. Despite how poorly the team performed in the last game of each series, their winning abilities cannot be disputed after their World Test Championship victory earlier this year.
Perhaps the number 50 holds some special significance for Breetzke. In the 50-over format, he has led a charmed life, scoring over 50 runs in his first five games. These five innings are the most consecutive half-century scores for a debuting batsman. This is not where the number 50 disappears, as his first innings was a historic 150 against New Zealand, being the highest score on debut.
In accruing these scores of 150, 83, 57, 88 and 85, Breetzke joined an illustrious group of South African legends. Only three have managed to score five consecutive half-centuries: Jonty Rhodes, Quinton de Kock on two occasions and Heinrich Klaasen. With players of that calibre as his predecessors, the future looks bright for the young batsman.
Fellow Protea Keshav Maharaj has said Breetzke has a similar mindset to that of the Indian great, Virat Kohli. Playing as a supreme run accumulator, with an abundance of stylish shots, he puts the pressure on the bowling side as he drives the ball through, and often over, the covers.
Along with his stylish play, he is said to have great character, which helps him bat during difficult times. Indeed, during his fifth game, he came in after two quick wickets and was joined by a new batsman soon after. From being 3 down for 93, Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs put on a match-winning partnership of 147. The young batting duo not only absorbed the pressure, but they also counterattacked.
Both batsmen punished the inadequate fifth bowling duo of Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell. The shot of the day was undoubtedly Breetzke’s gorgeous inside-out coverdrive for six off the bowling of Bethell in the 27th over. Shots like that are a big reason why Breetzke is such a formidable batsman; he does not just rely on slogsweeps or pullshots — he is just as destructive with a classical drive.
This fierce and fiery style of play has been a key feature of Breetzke’s first five innings. These qualities have allowed him to amass the most runs in the first five innings of their ODI career. These gave Breetzke an astounding average of 92.6 at a healthy strike rate of 104.5.
Breaking so many records at the start of his career has given Breetzke a cushion, relieving some of the pressure on him if he has a lean patch of form. However, these feats mean that there are many expectations on the young batsman.
Unfortunately, his sixth innings coincided with one of the worst performances by the Proteas in ODIs. In the third match of the series, against England, Breetszke managed to score only four runs on the way to a paltry total of 72 all out, losing by a staggering 342 runs, the worst loss by runs in the history of ODIs.
This performance dragged Breetzke’s Bradmanesque average of 92.6 all the way down to a (still exceptional) 77.86. If he manages to maintain that average, or not drop below 67 over the next 14 innings, he will have the best average in ODI cricket.
His efforts in the T20I and Test arenas have been unforgiving, having one score over 50 across 13 innings in both formats and averaging 16.77 in ODIs and 4.66 in tests. With the talent Breekzke holds, these averages are likely to improve over the coming years. However, the Proteas have a dearth of talented batsmen eager to take a slot in the 11.
Breetzke’s struggle in the Test and T20 arena is a challenge he needs to overcome to become an all-format player. His horizon appears bright for the ODI squad, and the Proteas will be hoping that he can continue his magnificent form into the 2027 ODI World Cup.
With the World Cup being played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, the Proteas management will be looking keenly at which players can secure victory at home. For this to happen, they will be doing their best to ensure their ODI prodigy is a key factor in the team.
Craig Thrupp is philosophy PhD graduate and educator who is passionate about sport and the spirit of the game.