Who is Jake Fraser-McGurk? 5 interesting facts about the Australian batter who scored a six to kickstart his IPL career against DC
Jake Fraser-McGurk, who was roped in as an injury replacement for Lungi Ngidi by the Delhi Capitals (DC), has made an instant impression on his IPL debut against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Known for his big-hitting ability, which has been on show across franchise and international cricket, the youngster has been dealing with only boundaries in his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut. He struck two gigantic sixes off Arshad Khan and Yash Thakur respectively, with the latter one being a 96-meter hit.
Australian youngster Jake Fraser-McGurk created history by breaking AB de Villiers' longstanding record for the fastest List-A hundred. The 21-year-old reached the three-figure mark off just 29 deliveries for South Australia against Tasmania at the Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide.
His rapid knock came during the team's attempt to chase down a record score of 436 set by Tasmania in the first innings. Fraser-McGurk ended up with 125 runs off 38 balls, hitting 10 fours and 13 sixes while opening the innings. While South Australia amassed 172 runs in 11.4 overs to begin the run chase with, they ultimately fell short by 37 runs in the Marsh Cup clash.
Fraser-McGurk reached his century in just the ninth over of the innings, giving the Tasmanians a serious scare. Speaking about his knock after being adjudged the Player of the Match, the youngster said during the post-match presentation:
"I went out there with some good intent, had my plans and process, and seemed like everything went my way."
On that note, here are five interesting facts about Jake Fraser-McGurk who scored a record-breaking 29-ball hundred.
#1 He was named in Australia's squad for the 2020 U-19 World Cup
The talented batter was part of the Australia squad for the 2020 U-19 World Cup held in South Africa. The squad included several other emerging players like Todd Murphy and Tanveer Sangha, who have gone on to make their senior international debuts in the recent past.
Jake Fraser-McGurk was the lone man standing in the team's three-wicket loss to West Indies which opened their campaign. He scored 84 runs off 97 deliveries as his side crumbled down to 179 all out. He scored 118 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 96.72.
Australia were eliminated from the tournament following a quarter-final defeat to eventual finalists India.
#2 He was scratched by a monkey which ruled him out of the 2020 U-19 World Cup
Even though Australia were eliminated from the 2020 U-19 World Cup, they still had to play the fifth-place playoff contest against the West Indies.
The Aussies suffered the loss against India on January 28, 2020, and Jake Fraser-McGurk was ruled out of the tournament the very next day due to a bizarre reason. The young cricketer was scratched by a monkey during the team's trip to a nature reserve in Kimberley.
The incident apparently took place on January 23, and according to a statement by the management, he had to leave as "it was deemed necessary to return to Australia for precautionary treatment within seven days of the accident". Recalling the incident, the Fraser-McGurk said:
"I guess it serves me right for getting too close to the animal enclosure. That's a lesson learned."
Australia finished sixth in the U-19 2020 World Cup after their playoff contest was washed out.
#3 He scored a fifty on his List-A and first-class debut
Jake Fraser-McGurk became Victoria's third youngest Sheffield Shield debutant after playing his first match as a 17-year-old. Furthermore, he marked the occasion with a half-century, but it came in a losing cause as Victoria lost against Queensland.
He made his List-A debut only days after his first-class debut and scored yet another half-century. The batter scored 54 runs off 49 runs Victoria defeated New South Wales by six runs.
#4 He claimed one of BBL's greatest catches in the 2021-22 season
Apart from being a batter and a utility bowler, Jake Fraser-McGurk is an absolute dynamite in the field. In a short span of time, he has managed to attract a few eyeballs with his fielding prowess, particularly on the boundary rope. The talented youngster has claimed quite a few spectacular catches.
Representing the Melbourne Renegades, he took a special catch in the 2021-22 Big Bash League (BBL) season against the Adelaide Strikers. Jake Weatherald connected a perfect slog sweep, but the youngster in the deep timed his leap to perfection and grabbed the ball on the edge at full stretch.
Have a look at the special catch right here:
Fraser-McGurk took yet another stunning catch in the 2022-23 season against the Hobart Hurricanes, leading to Brett Lee terming him as one of Australia's best fielders.
#5 He switched from Victoria to South Australia in search of more opportunities
As mentioned before, Fraser-McGurk rose through the ranks in the Victoria setup and made his debut for the side at quite a young age. However, his progression in the early days did not go quite as hoped. He showed flashes of brilliance from time to time but struggled heavily for consistency as evidenced by his numbers.
The batter eventually switched sides to South Australia ahead of the 2023-24 season for a fresh start. He has made a good early impression with this record-breaking effort against Tasmania and will be hoping that this is the start of a purple patch.
With Australia heading towards a transition at the top of the order across formats, Jake Fraser-McGurk will be hoping to peak at the right time and impress the right people to make the transition.
Will Jake Fraser-McGurk's 29-ball record for the fastest List-A ton ever be broken? Let us know what you think.