Rolling back to the teenage years - South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen in action for Purbrook at The Heath in 2010.
One-time Purbrook teenager Heinrich Klaasen smashed a rampaging 66 off 33 balls (4 fours and 4 sixes) for South Africa in yesterday’s series defining third KFC T20 international at Centurion Park – only to finish on the losing side as England chased down a massive 222-6 to win by five wickets with five balls to spare.
Klaasen, who spent the 2007 and 2010 seasons at Purbrook Heath while on holiday from Menlopark High School in Pretoria, top scored for South Africa, but then sat back and watched as Eoin Morgan set off on a six-hitting blitz of his own, leading England to a remarkable victory. A packed and sun kissed Titans crowd soaked up 26 sixes in all and almost 500 runs in three hours.
Klaasen was a mere 15-year old when he first visited Purbrook in 2007, playing County Division 3 cricket and scoring a century against Highfield either side of fifty-plus scores against Midhurst, Emsworth and Bishop’s Waltham. He returned home with 340 runs to his credit at a handy average of 85 !
Three years later and by this time an automatic pick in the Titans Under-19 provincial side, Klaasen returned to reap more carnage on Hampshire League bowlers, this time in County 1, where he bludgeoned 821 runs, including an unbeaten 212 at Midhurst and centuries against Portchester (133 not out) and Burridge (128).
Having made an indelible mark in only his second white ball appearance in twelve months for the Proteas, Klaasen is now looking ahead to the forthcoming ODI Series against Australia – and a place in the South Africa squad for this autumn’s ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.
Klaasen, who spent the 2007 and 2010 seasons at Purbrook Heath while on holiday from Menlopark High School in Pretoria, top scored for South Africa, but then sat back and watched as Eoin Morgan set off on a six-hitting blitz of his own, leading England to a remarkable victory. A packed and sun kissed Titans crowd soaked up 26 sixes in all and almost 500 runs in three hours.
Klaasen was a mere 15-year old when he first visited Purbrook in 2007, playing County Division 3 cricket and scoring a century against Highfield either side of fifty-plus scores against Midhurst, Emsworth and Bishop’s Waltham. He returned home with 340 runs to his credit at a handy average of 85 !
Three years later and by this time an automatic pick in the Titans Under-19 provincial side, Klaasen returned to reap more carnage on Hampshire League bowlers, this time in County 1, where he bludgeoned 821 runs, including an unbeaten 212 at Midhurst and centuries against Portchester (133 not out) and Burridge (128).
Having made an indelible mark in only his second white ball appearance in twelve months for the Proteas, Klaasen is now looking ahead to the forthcoming ODI Series against Australia – and a place in the South Africa squad for this autumn’s ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.
Heinrich Klaasen in six-hitting mode for South Africa at Centurion Park yesterday.
