On Saturday (29th February), during the first ODI of the three-match home ODI series against Australia at Paarl, South African cricketer Janneman Malan made his ODI debut and very soon created history which he will never want to remember.
While the South African captain Quinton de Kock won the toss and decided to bat first in the Paarl ODI, the 23-year-old Janneman Malan opened the innings along with the skipper Quinton de Kock.
Janneman Malan scored a golden duck after losing his wicket on the first ball of the match
On the very first ball of the game, Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc trapped Janneman Malan for lbw. But the bowling end umpire, Nigel Llong didn’t raise his finger on that appeal from the Australian side. Australian captain Aaron Finch took the review, and it resulted in opening the wicket column as Llong had to change his decision to out.
With that dismissal, Janneman Malan became the first ODI debutant cricketer to get out on the very first ball of the ODI match.
On 31st July 2009, during the Basseterre ODI between West Indies and Bangladesh, the debutant Caribbean opener Kieran Powell was also dismissed on the first legal delivery of that match. Bangladesh right-arm pacer Mahbubul Alam took that wicket after successfully managed to trap that batsman for the lbw dismissal. But, Mahbubul Alam conceded a wide on the very first delivery of that match, and that’s why the first ball was not the legitimate delivery of that match.
Due to this reason, Proteas cricketer Janneman Malan has taken his name to the special position which never happened before the latest Paarl ODI. However, Malan will surely want to forget this special record as soon as possible.
Proteas captain and the other opener Quinton de Kock scored 15 runs while Temba Bavuma scored 26 runs. However, another ODI debutant Kyle Verreynne played the crucial knock of 48 runs while Heinrich Klaasen handled the situation and strongly guided the team to the good total with his brilliant maiden ODI century. Klassen scored 123 not out off 114 balls (7 fours and 3 sixes), and it helped the South African team to score 291/7 (50 overs) in the first innings. David Miller also scored 64 runs off 70 balls.