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Cape Town - Club cricketer Shane Dadswell says he is still coming to terms with the events of the past few days. The previously unknown opening batsman re-wrote the record books when he posted the highest individual score in minor, limited overs cricket.
READ: SA club batsman breaks world record
The Johannesburg-born youngster scored a blistering 490 runs from 151 balls, smashing 57 sixes and 27 fours, playing for NWU Pukke Cricket Club against Potch Dorp 1 Cricket club at the Witrand Oval Cricket field in Potchefstroom on Saturday.
His innings saw him better the previous highest score of 486 runs by Indian teenager S. Sankruth Sriram (JSS International School U16 v Hebron School U16 in 2014/15).
“Honestly it’s not even something you dream about,” Dadswell said.
“You dream about a double hundred, so to get 400-odd is a really special moment on a special day. It’s phenomenal, the best day of my life.”
A former King Edward VII School (KES) pupil, the young man also celebrated his 20th birthday on the very same day – November 18.
The previous weekend Dadswell, who describes himself as ‘a bit of an attacking batsman’ also turned in a remarkable performance, although it went unnoticed.
“It’s been an amazing two weeks because last week I got 126 off 38 balls. So, there’s certainly an attacking nature inside me,” he beamed.
Dadswell is not new to cricket. The second year Business Psychology student played in all the Cricket South Africa (CSA) age-group weeks, including the most famous of them all, the Khaya Majola Week, representing Gauteng.
Whether he plays cricket professionally is yet to be seen, although measures had been in place well before the weekend.
“It would be amazing to play cricket for a living. I guess the first steps have already been taken because it was in the pipeline for me to start training with the (North West) Dragons from this week,” he said.
“So that’s the direction I'm looking in for now. I have been part of a few things with them this season, I’ve played a warm-up game and stuff like that. I don’t really think I would have had an opportunity up until next year, but hopefully this innings will change that.”
Dadswell, whose idol is South African-born Englishman Kevin Pietersen, celebrated with his team-mates at the nearby Harry Oppenheimer Field on Sunday.
After all, his NWU Pukke Cricket Club also deserved some credit. Their team total of 677/3 in 50 over minor cricket, surpassed the previous highest total of 629/5 (University of Warwick 2nd XI v Newman College in 2007).
Ruan Haasbroek contributed 104 not out, with Potch Dorp bowler Dawid Crowther the most expensive after returning figure of one for 131 in 10 overs.
Dorp did make a fist of the game by responding with 290 for nine, but they lost by 387 runs.
Dadswell capped a fine all-round contribution with the ball by finishing with two for 32 in seven overs.
