South African opener Matthew Breetzke made history by becoming the first batter to score 150 runs on his men’s ODI debut during the tri-series match against New Zealand at the newly renovated Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The 26-year-old broke a 47-year-old record previously held by West Indies’ Desmond Haynes, who scored 148 on debut against Australia in 1978.
Earlier, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won his second consecutive toss and chose to field against a weakened South African side. South Africa entered the tournament without seven key players from their Champions Trophy squad, who are expected to join the team in Karachi over the weekend.
Bangladesh announces Champions Trophy squad, drops Shakib & Liton
Breetzke, who is not part of South Africa’s Champions Trophy squad, added his name to a prestigious list of South Africans to score a century on debut, joining Colin Ingram, Temba Bavuma, and Reeza Hendricks. He reached his half-century off just 68 balls and brought up his century with a shot through deep third off 128 balls before accelerating his innings. His 148-ball knock included 11 fours and five sixes, helping South Africa post a total of 304 for 6.
Here are the top scores for most runs on debut in Men’s ODIs:
- Matthew Breetzke – 150 runs vs. New Zealand, 2025
- Desmond Haynes – 148 runs vs. Australia, 1978
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz – 127 runs vs. Ireland, 2021
- Colin Ingram – 124 runs vs. Zimbabwe, 2010
- Mark Chapman – 124* runs vs. UAE, 2015
