Making a debut for their country is a dream, and scoring an unforgettable mark in their first match is a style to manage their presence in the world. Scoring a century on Debut is a rare feat.

Individual highest score at the International level is a rare score

Matthew Breetzke (South Africa) – 150 (148) vs New Zealand, 2025

The newest into this elite club, Matthew Breetzke, shocked the cricketing world when he bashed 150 off 148 balls against New Zealand in 2025. This knock was just full of beautiful stroke play and controlled aggression and set a new record for the highest score on an ODI debut, supplanting Desmond Hayne's record from 1978.

ALSO SEE: "Playing domestic cricket has helped me," says Ravindra Jadeja on his consistent performances against England.

Desmond Haynes (West Indies) – 148 (136) vs Australia, 1978

Haynes had the record for the highest debut score in ODI cricket for more than four decades. The West Indian opener batted valiantly against  Australian bowling for 148 off 136 balls with the fearlessness that announced his arrival on the international scene, upon which his innings left a foundation for a legendary career.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan) – 127 (127) v Ireland, 2021

Rahmanullah Gurbaz is another rising star in Afghanistan, having made a bright impact on the international scene for the first time with a winning 127-ball  knock against  Ireland He  looked aggressive in style and showed nothing to fear at the crease, pointing the way forward as  Afghanistan emerges increasingly in world cricket.

Colin Ingram (South Africa) – 124 (126) vs Zimbabwe, 2010

Colin Ingram made his debut for South Africa a dream one, though, when he scored 124 off 126 balls against Zimbabwe in 2010. His steady anchoring of the innings with attacking strokes in batting made his debut truly memorable and set him up for a promising international career.

Mark Chapman (Hong Kong) – 124 (116) vs UAE, 2015*
Before moving to New Zealand, Mark Chapman was on the headlines, making an unbeaten 124 from 116* balls for Hong Kong against UAE. His classy and composed innings are one of the best in the history of ODI play, and truly a debut worth remembering while showing his skill at the level.

These players made their instant impact on the team with their spectacular performances on debut, proving that sometimes a great career has its start in a spectacular first impression.

South African-born Kiwi batter Devon Conway is all set to be excluded from the third Test between New Zealand and England scheduled to take place in Hamilton on 14 December. The opener will stay in Wellington where his side suffered a brutal 323-run drubbing in the second Test and will remain with his family to see the birth of his newborn child. 

See also: Adelaide Test, Day 3: Australia bounce back in the series with 10-wicket win

Mark Chapman comes in as his replacement

Ahead of the third and final Test, New Zealand have roped in Auckland Aces batter Mark Chapman. The 30-year-old holds a healthy batting average of 46.14 in FC cricket with seven centuries under his belt. Champan is yet to make an appearance for New Zealand in the longest format.

New Zealand coach Gary Stead was in full support of Conway and expects him to make the most of his quality time with his family on this auspicious occasion. Moreover, he also heaped praise on Champan who has been in the midst of a remarkable run in the ongoing Plunket Shield tournament. 

"Family comes first in this environment and we're all really excited for Dev and his wife Kim to welcome their first child. Mark was with the Test squad in India recently and returned to the Plunket Shield by scoring an impressive 276 - so it's a good time for him to be joining us."

An opportunity for Will Young to return to the fore

It came as a surprise to many when the New Zealand squad was announced prior to the Test series. The omission of Young who averaged nearly 49 and was adjudged Player of the Series in New Zealand's historic Test series win over India raised quite a few eyebrows.

Unfortunately, he had to make way for Williamson who fully regained his fitness right before the start of the home Test series. He made a resounding impact upon his return becoming the leading run scorer for his side with 195 runs to his name at an average of 48.75. New Zealand have already surrendered to England in this series by a margin of 0-2. The Black Caps will have one last chance to salvage their lost pride in the upcoming Hamilton Test which is expected to commence later this week. 

New Zealand star Mark Chapman showcased his talent in the ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 during the match between the Dambulla Sixers and Colombo Strikers on Thursday, July 16.

In the final game of the league stage, Muhammad Waseem, playing for Colombo, was aggressive and took on pacer Nuwan Pradeep, keeping his team in the hunt for 124 runs. Waseem hit Pradeep for two boundaries and a six in the first four balls of the second over, showing no signs of slowing down.

However, Pradeep made a crucial comeback, ultimately leading to Waseem’s dismissal, thanks to an outstanding effort from Mark Chapman. On the fifth ball of the over, Waseem attempted to clear mid-on but failed to make solid contact. That’s when Chapman sprang into action.

Positioned at mid-on, Chapman sprinted to his right and executed a perfect dive, taking a spectacular catch with both hands to send Waseem packing. With this wicket, the Colombo Strikers found themselves struggling at 16/2.

Following Waseem’s dismissal, Nuwan Pradeep continued to shine, taking wickets at regular intervals and applying pressure on the opposition. After Waseem’s quick 15 runs, the Colombo Strikers collapsed, quickly finding themselves at 88/9.

Skipper Thisara Perera contributed a valuable 30 runs to keep his team in the game, but ultimately, the Strikers were bowled out for just 95 runs, losing the match by 28 runs.

SEE ALSO:Tom Latham ready to take charge of ODI team

We gave our all to set a big score – Mohammad Nabi

Dambulla Sixers skipper Mohammad Nabi, who was named Player of the Match for his 40-run performance, reflected on his innings and acknowledged the challenges posed by the tricky pitch. He expressed that the team aimed to post a big score but faced setbacks with early wickets. Speaking after the match, he shared:

“It was a tough game on a tricky pitch. We did our best to set a big total, but losing early wickets hurt us. If I had been able to bat through the last four overs, it could have changed the outcome. I focused on waiting for bad balls and playing simple cricket—watching the ball closely, especially the legspinner’s googlies and flippers.

“On this pitch, the googly and flipper were the most difficult to face. In our huddle, we discussed the need to defend 47 runs and aimed to bowl stump to stump. It’s been a fantastic tournament, and I enjoyed leading the team, but unfortunately, we couldn’t qualify. Overall, it was a great experience, and I truly enjoyed it.”