Du Plessis achieves a century off 51 balls

DALLAS: In a Major League Cricket (MLC) showdown against the San Francisco Unicorns (SF) in Dallas on Saturday, former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis delivered a remarkable century for the Texas Super Kings (TSK).

Du Plessis, opening for TSK, slammed 100 runs from just 51 balls, featuring seven sixes and six fours, to boost his team to 198/5 in 20 overs after they were put in to bat.

He and Devon Conway of New Zealand set up a strong start with a 97-run opening stand.

While Conway was out for 23 off 23 balls, du Plessis proceeded to dominate the bowlers, exciting spectators with impressive shots all over the field.

This century was du Plessis’s second in MLC, matching Finn Allen’s record for the most centuries in the league.

It was his seventh century in T20 matches overall, surpassing Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ruturaj Gaikwad, each with six T20 centuries.

At 40 years and 342 days, du Plessis is among the oldest players to score a T20 century.

Only England’s Paul Collingwood (41 years, 65 days in 2017) and Graeme Hick (41 years, 37 days in 2007) have scored centuries at an older age in this format.

Despite his performance, TSK couldn’t defend their score. The Unicorns chased the target efficiently, completing it in under 17 overs.

Openers Finn Allen and Matthew Short created a strong base with a rapid 117-run partnership in just 8.3 overs.

Following Short’s dismissal, Jake Fraser-McGurk added 37 runs quickly to confirm a significant victory, their fourth consecutive, strengthening their lead in the standings.