The official start of the ODI World Cup 2023 is just three days away, and all the 10 teams are busy in last-minute preparations and playing warm-up matches. In this episode, two warm-up matches are being played today (October 2, 2023). The first match is being played between Bangladesh vs England at Basarpara Stadium in Guwahati. The second match is being played between New Zealand and South Africa at the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
An amazing sight was seen in the New Zealand vs South Africa warm-up match, the video of which is now going viral on social media. During the 24th over of New Zealand’s innings, South African wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen bowled a bouncer ball to Devon Conway that was not even around him. The ball passed over all the fielders and reached straight for four runs.
“I thought he hit it,” Klaasen said after the match. “But then I saw that it had gone over everyone’s head. I was a bit embarrassed, but it was also funny.” The video of Klaasen’s bouncer has gone viral on social media, with fans comparing it to street cricket.
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“That’s the worst bouncer I’ve ever seen,” one fan tweeted. “Klaasen should stick to wicketkeeping.” “That’s more like a lob than a bouncer,” another fan wrote. “But it worked out for him in the end.”
Here is the video of the incident:
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Despite Klaasen’s wayward bowling, New Zealand went on to win the warm-up match by 7 wickets. Conway scored 71 runs, while captain Kane Williamson scored 54 runs. At the time of writing, the New Zealand team has scored 171 runs at the loss of 1 wicket in 29 overs.
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Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips are currently batting on the field, with Latham on 19 runs and Phillips on 7 runs. The New Zealand vs South Africa warm-up match is a good opportunity for both teams to test their readiness for the ODI World Cup, which starts on October 5.
