Top 3 batting performances of Hansie Cronje in ODIs

The history of South African cricket might not consist of any trophies, but it does consist of some great players. One of the best captains of South Africa was none other than Hansie Cronje. Though he is known as one of the most controversial figures in the game due to his involvement in match-fixing, he is still one of the few captains who led the team during one of their best eras in the game.

Hansie Cronje was a major asset to the Proteas known for some of his great innings in the middle order and handy bowling spells. Cronje was great in both the formats but it is his batting performances in ODI’s that have been impeccable. He has played 188 ODI’s during his career and has scored more than 5500 runs at an average of 38.64. It will be interesting to look into some of these great performances from him 

So, here are the top 3 batting performances of Cronje in One-day Internationals:

98(130)* vs Australia in 1994 at Lahore

This was Hansie Cronje playing some of his best cricket for South Africa while under pressure. Though the target was just 208, The Proteas really struggled to get going. 

Cronje was the only batter who made sure his team was in a position to win the game with his incredible unbeaten 98 from 130 deliveries. Though the Rainbow Nation fell short by 6 runs at the end, due to Cronje running out of partners, he still deserves credit for keeping them in the game.

100(124)* vs Australia in 1994 at Peshawar

This was another great innings from Hansie Cronje which came when his team was in trouble and it once again came against the mighty Aussies. The South Africans were struggling at 167-4 and there was a big knock needed to take them to a decent total. 

This is where Cronje came into the picture again as he scored an unbeaten century of 124 balls to take his side to a total of 252. Though this effort did not end in a positive way for the Proteas, Cronje deservingly won the player of the match for this performance.

112(120) vs Australia in 1994 at Johannesburg

This was another brilliant knock from Cronje, this time coming in the home series against Australia. This was also his maiden century in ODI’s on a tough batting track in Jo-burg. Cronje scored 112 runs off 120 deliveries to make sure that his team got to a defendable total of 232. 

This turned out to be enough as the South Africans also went on to win the game and take the lead in the series. This was Cronje in his early days but he still made a huge impact against one of the strongest sides in international cricket.

Disclaimer: This exclusive news is based on the author’s insights, analysis, and intuition. While reviewing this information, consider the points discussed and form your own conclusions.