Johannesburg: South Africa captain AB de Villiers smashed the fastest one-day international (ODI) hundred off 31 balls, breaking all records in the history of limited overs cricket, against West Indies here at the Wanderers on Sunday.
The record – held by Shahid Afridi (37 balls) for 18 years – was broken by Corey Anderson (36 balls) last January, the opponent being the Caribbeans again.
AB reached his half-century off 16 deliveries – also the fastest in an ODI match by any batsman. He broke Sanath Jayasuriya’s 17-ball 50 record which the Sri Lankan registered against Pakistan in 1996.
.@ABdeVilliers17! That's all! He brings up his 50! It's the fastest ODI 50 (16 balls) #ProteaFire #PinkDay18Jan! pic.twitter.com/J0IZnEQBj3
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) January 18, 2015However, he hit 16 sixes and nine boundaries before being dismissed for 149 off 44 balls. Apart from AB, Hashim Amla (153 not out) and Rilee Rossouw (128) shone for the Proteas but the skipper's fiery knock outclassed their effort.
GROUND REALITY
Though the Proteas remained five runs short of recording the highest total in ODI cricket (443 by Sri Lanka), they bettered their own crossing 438 (against Australia in 2006), which was at the same ground.
The Wanderers seems to have become home to record-breaking matches. Earlier in the series, West Indies talisman Chris Gayle hammered a 17-ball 50 against the hosts at the same venue chasing 232 in a T20 game – which they eventually won.
Gayle’s only T20 hundred was also here against South Africa in 2007.
Brief scores: South Africa 439/2 in 50 overs (H Amla, 153*, AB de Villiers 149, R Rossouw 128; J Taylor 1/95) against West Indies
WATCH: Highlights of the @ABdeVilliers17 knock that has everyone talking here: http://t.co/WfTWP8e6dx #SAvWI pic.twitter.com/xGOeSjLASi
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 18, 2015
