Steffan Nero, remember the name! The Australian blind cricketer hit 309 not out off just 140 balls against New Zealand at International Cricket Inclusion Series in Brisbane on Tuesday. (More Cricket News)
With this unbeaten triple century, the Aussie wicketkeeper-batter set a new world record. The previous record was in the name of Pakistan's Masood Jan, who scored 262 not out 24 years ago against South Africa at the 1998 Blind Cricket World Cup.
After posting a world record 541/2, Australia defeated their Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand by 269 runs at Shaw Park.
"It’s a dream in itself to play for Australia so to make a century for Australia is one of those lifelong memories you will never forget," Nero said after the match.
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During the match, Nero hit the first six of the series, a reverse sweep for a maximum off the first delivery he faced. His knock also witnessed 49 boundaries.
"Sometimes in an over I decide, ‘OK I’m going to try to take this guy downtown and hit him out of the park'," Nero added. "This ball hit the right spot. One of my strengths is the reverse. I’ve built that up over the years, playing that reverse sweep all the time.
"When it went over the boundary for six I was very happy with that. But I was also annoyed I hit the ball in the air, because when you verse the best nations in the world, they'll most likely catch you."
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He then affected five run-outs as a wicketkeeper to guide Australia to a massive win.
Steffan Nero is the seventh Aussie to have scored a triple century across all cricket formats, after Donald Bradman (twice), Bob Simpson, Bob Cowper, Mark Taylor, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke and David Warner.
After missing out on a bat in the first ODI match of the series, Nero has scored three consecutive centuries -- 113 off 46, 101 not out off 47, and 309 off 140 to help Australia take a 6-0 lead against New Zealand.
He has now scored a total of 523 runs at an average of 523.
This is the first time since 2019 that all three Australian squads – blind, deaf, and intellectual disability (ID) – have competed at the international level.
Steffan Nero has also represented Australia in goalball, football and futsal.
For the uninitiated, ODI matches in blind cricket are for 40 overs, and use plastic ball that makes a noise when it moves.
The stumps are made of metal to generate more noise when hit by the ball. Also, bowlers bowl underarm and the ball must bounce at least twice before it reaches the batter.
