Fraser-McGurk smashes 49-ball ton as SA overpower Queensland

Jake Fraser-McGurk smashed his own Australian domestic One-Day record by thumping a 14-ball fifty on his way to a 49-ball century as South Australia thumped Queensland at the Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide.

Fraser-McGurk finished with 122 from 63 including 10 fours and nine sixes to post his second List A century while skipper Nathan McSweeney made 106 from 103, his third List ton and his second in four innings after making 123 for Australia A against India A a fortnight ago, to help South Australia pile up 397 for 7 before Spencer Johnson took his maiden List A five-for as Queensland were bowled out for 271 in reply with Lachlan Hearne playing a lone hand in making 121.

Player of the match Fraser-McGurk set the tone with a stunning assault that put him on track to break his own world record for the fastest List A century. He smashed 22 off the second over of the innings from Tom Straker and then 16 from the fourth from Tom Whitney. His assault continued in the sixth over when he thumped Hayden Kerr for a six and a four to bring up his fifty off 14 balls. It was four balls quicker than his previous record of 18 balls which he set in 2023 and just three shy of the world record owned by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He now sits joint fourth on the list of fastest List A fifties globally.

His 29-ball century mark was in reach when he cracked four fours and a six off his next eight deliveries to move to 75 from 22. But Queensland captain, and four-Test spinner, Mitchell Swepson extinguished hopes when he bowled five balls to Fraser-McGurk in the ninth over for the cost of one run with only two men out. Fraser-McGurk could not hit his fast legbreaks from the top of the stumps, miscuing one just short of mid-on and narrowly avoiding being trapped lbw off another when it was sliding down leg.

Fraser-McGurk opted to play steadily from there as he and Mackenzie Harvey racked up an opening stand of 129 from just 11.3 overs before the latter fell for 46 from 35. Fraser-McGurk unfurled back-to-back sixes off Whitney in the 14th over to move into the nineties before inching his way to his century via singles. He clubbed two fours and a six off the part-time left-arm orthodox of Jack Clayton before falling lbw for 122 trying to slog sweep the left-arm seam of Kerr.

Fraser-McGurk's love affair with the Karen Rolton Oval is evident from his imposing record there. He now has two centuries and an 88 from six innings, averaging 68.66 and striking at 204.97. Extraordinarily, in his 32 List A innings elsewhere, including seven ODIs, he averages just 20.55 and strikes at 112.66 with one half-century which came on List A debut at the MCG in 2019 for Victoria.

McSweeney was pedestrian by comparison as he cruised to his century with 10 boundaries but no sixes. He shared a 115-run fifth-wicket stand with Jake Lehmann who contributed 58 off 46. McSweeney fell to Oli Patterson with 10 balls remaining in the innings which derailed SA's hope of passing 400.

But it mattered not as Johnson put a huge dent in Queensland's chase in the powerplay. His extra pace forced a miscue from Hugh Weibgen. The former Australia Under-19 captain fell for nine, skying a pull shot to mid-on, having made centuries in his previous two innings. Four overs later, Hugo Burdon miscued another Johnson short ball to Fraser-McGurk at deep square after racing to 29 from 14 balls.

In between Johnson's strikes, Wes Agar rattled Jack Clayton's off stump. Henry Thornton had the promoted Hayden Kerr caught behind in the last over the powerplay to leave the chase doomed at 73 for 4.

Hearne tried his best to keep the chase moving but ran out of willing partners. Max Bryant made 26 but became Johnson's third victim. Jimmy Peirson made 45 but fell to the leg spin of Lloyd Pope who finished with three wickets. Hearne posted his second List A hundred to muted celebrations. He finished with 121 from 104 with nine fours and three sixes before he was Johnson's fifth victim, clean bowled swinging for the fence first ball of the 41st over.