South Africa’s Marco Marais slams fastest triple-century in First-Class cricket, surpasses Charles Macartney

Marco Marais slams fastest triple-century in First-Class cricket

2017 has been a record breaking year across cricketing formats. Centuries, double-centuries, even triple-centuries have been slammed at will; that in record-breaking balls. Newest entrant to the list is South Africa’s Marco Marais. He slammed a 191-ball 300 that included 13 sixes and 35 boundaries. This is the fastest-ever First-Class triple hundred. He broke the existing record by Charles Macartney (221 balls) by some distance. He has also surpassed the likes of Viv Richards (244 balls), Graeme Smith (249 balls) and Ken Rutherford (234 balls).

Playing for Border in South Africa’s 3-day domestic competition against Eastern Province at Buffalo Park, the 26-year-old broke the 96-year-old record and became the only batsmen to this tally playing less than 200 balls.

Speaking to The Daily Dispatch, Marais said: “I don’t think anyone actually thinks they are going to get 300. I am really happy but I don’t think it has fully sunk in yet. I am just so tired now. I think it will eventually hit me later tonight. I was striking the ball so well. I decided that I was just going to go hard at them and it came off in the end.

Marais is now the second highest run get run getter in the competition with 503 runs at an average of 251.50.