Adam Zampa endured a forgettable day as he found himself equalling the ignominious record for the most expensive spell in the history of One Day International (ODI) cricket. The leg-spinner's performance against South Africa in the fourth match of the five-match series at the SuperSport Park in Centurion left much to be desired, with his figures reading 10-0-113-0.
This unfortunate feat had previously been achieved by fast bowler Mick Lewis back in 2006, during the historic ODI at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg against the Proteas. Zampa now joins the ranks of the 16 bowlers who have conceded over 100 runs in a single innings.
Zampa's struggles on the field were evident as he failed to make an impact, allowing the South African batsmen to dominate the game. His inability to take wickets and control the flow of runs proved costly for the Australian team.
Lewis, Wahab Riaz, Rashid Khan, Phillippe Boissevain, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Pradeep, Martin Snedden, Tim Southee, Brian Vitori, Jason Holder, Vinay Kumar, Dawlat Zadran, Hasan Ali, Andrew Tye, and Jacob Duffy are among the bowlers who find themselves on the dubious list alongside Zampa.
During the match, Zampa conceded a staggering 79 runs, earning himself the unfortunate title of the most expensive spell by an Australian spinner. This record surpasses that of Steve Smith, who finished with figures of 9.5-0-78-2 back in February 2010 in Melbourne.
Zampa appeared completely lost on a day when South Africa unleashed their batting prowess, amassing a formidable total of 416 runs for the loss of only five wickets in 50 overs. In the final nine overs alone, the hosts scored a remarkable 164 runs. Heinrich Klaasen was the standout performer, dismantling the Australian bowling attack with a blistering knock of 174 runs off just 83 balls, including 13 fours and an equal number of sixes.
Putting aside his disappointing performance in this particular match, Zampa has proven to be a vital asset to the Australian ODI team. In his 82 matches, he has taken an impressive 136 wickets at an economy rate of 5.49, even achieving a five-wicket haul along the way.
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