South Africa Played Against West Indies at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on 18 January 2015
South Africa 439/2 (Hashim Amla 153*, AB Devilliers 149, RR Rossouw 128, JE Taylor 1/95, JO Holder 0/91) beat West Indies 291/7 (DR Smith 64, D Ramadin 57, MN Samuels 40, JL Carter 40) by 148 Runs.
Scoring a century in 31 deliveries, scoring 149 in only 44 deliveries in international cricket is unbelievable. But incredible De Villiers made it happen at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg yesterday against West Indies. Centuries by another amazing batsman Hashim Amla 153 in 142 balls and sparkling innings by RR Rossouw 128 in 115 set the tone anyway for a blizzard. But no one even AB could even dream what was coming. But it came so spontaneously that it caught all by a pleasant surprise. He rewrote the history of boatmanship scoring the quickest fifty and the quickest hundred in ODI. Nine boundaries and 16 sixes in a 44 ball hurricane hitting I am ready to wait till eternity for viewing such an innings. We just returned home from MCG, Melbourne after watching an exciting ODI between Australia and India. But in matter of sheer delight that keenly contested ODI came nowhere while comparing with what happened at Johannesburg. West Indies scoring 291/7 lost by a huge margin of 148 runs as South Africa scored 439/2 in their allotted overs. It was perhaps a match of another planet another world. I feel jealous of those who had seen it. I am ready to spend anything for watching such a match anywhere in the world. But who can plan for it? It comes and goes like an unannounced tornado. Cricket viewers be alert for such tornados in the ensuing ICC World Cup. Cricketers of other world AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Dave Warner, Glen Maxwell, Rohit Sharma, Corey Anderson and Shahid Afridi may be repeating.
Cricinfo has carried a story mentioning that AB was not much willing to bat after dynamic opening partnership of 247 he wanted David Miller to bat and blast West Indies out of the game.
Please read as I quote
Quote
"I approached Russell Domingo about four or five times saying, 'Are you sure me and not David Miller?' and he said 'Yes, sure,' and then two or three overs later, Sulieman Benn came back and I went to Russell for a final time and said 'Maybe him now?' and he still said, 'No, you'. Russell feels I can inject us with fuel, momentum, which I can do but I just felt David could do it better," de Villiers explained afterwards. "It was just my day." And what a day it was.”
Unquote
Let us have a view what records AB rewrote yesterday.
• His 31 ball hundred broke the 36 balls ODI century record of New Zealander Corey Anderson scored against West Indies in Queenstown in 2014
• AB broke the 17 balls 50 record of Sanath Jayasuriya scored against Pakistan in 1996 with his 16 balls fifty.
• His 16 sixes scored in the innings equals the feat of Rohit Sharma scoring the same against Australia in 2013. While de Villiers was unleashing tornado against West Indies Rohit smashed another sparkling century against Australia at MCG yesterday.
• 439 that South Africa scored is only the second best ODI innings. Sri Lanka holds the record 443 against Netherlands in 2006.
• Three South African batsmen Hashim Amla (153), Rilee Rossouw (128) and de Villiers (149). This is the first instance of three batsman scoring hundreds in the same innings in an ODI.
Records are made to be broken. ” No one can guarantee that de Villiers himself or someone else will not do it sooner or later. When someone does it we must stand up and admire. Sahid Afridi's record stayed for a while. He won the title “Boom Boom Afridi”. Kiwi sensation Corey Anderson broke it last year striking century in 36 balls. West Indies, South Africa, India and Pakistan are grouped together in the ensuing ICC world cup .We can enjoy a definite run feast.
** De Villiers smashes 31-ball ton
BDST: 0922 HRS, JAN 19, 2015
