AB de Villiers : Record Breaking Hundred in 31 Balls
Abraham Benjamin de Villiers is a fearful name for all the bowlers across the Cricket world. While being a top-middle order batsman, he still hits the ball harder than any death over batsmen out there. He's a type of batsman who can adapt with any conditions and can bat against one of the forceful waves. He's the record holder of quickest 50, 100 and 150 in ODI format. But the innings that attracted me most was his innings of 149 runs out of only 44 balls against West Indies at Johannesburg. In that innings, he reached his century out of just 31 deliveries and broke Corey Anderson's record of fastest ODI century. Currently de Villiers is the most caliber level batsman and in my opinion, one of the competitors to be the best batsman in limited overs cricket history. 3 days ago he scored 90* out of only 39 balls at IPL against Delhi Daredevils. He reminded his natural game to the cricket world and I think this is a perfect time for recalling his legacy and highlighting his record breaking innings at 2015 at Johannesburg. This is Mashhud Hasan from frenzyweb360 and today I'm going to analyze about AB de Villiers' 149*(44) against West Indies.
De Villiers is a 360 batsman who can hit any ball and place it anywhere he wants. His innings and graphs show how well-rounded his shot placements are. He keeps up his grammatical batting when he comes down at power-plays. But after the ball gets old, he starts his orthodox batting style and that's what shuffles opponent's bowling lineup and demolishes their confidence. He is excellent in all formats but in this article, I'm mainly going to highlight his ODI career. He has played 228 ODI matches (218 innings) and scored 9577 runs at an average of 53.5, a blistering strike-rate of 101.09 and has 25 centuries & 53 fifties in his career. He has played 5 ODI matches for Africa XI and scored a total of 150 runs at an average of 30. AB de Villiers has the record of fastest 50, 100 and 150. During his innings of 149* runs, he broke Sanath Jayasuriya's record of fastest fifty and Corey Anderson's fastest century's record. His highest score in ODI is 176(104) against Bangladesh at Peerl. His first century was at 2007 ICC World Cup where he scored 146 runs out of only 130 balls against West Indies. It was his highest ODI innings for 8 years. Currently de Villiers is ranked 6th in the list of most centuries in ODI career. With 53 fifties and 78 fifty plus scores, he's positioned 13th in the list of most fifty plus scores in ODI. de Villiers has 204 sixes in his ODI career and he's ranked 5th in the list of most sixes in this format of career. With 840 fours in his career, he is positioned 19th in the list of most fours in ODI career. De Villiers is the only batsman in cricket history to score hundreds against the same opposition in 3 consecutive world-cups. He built this record over West Indies. He scored 146(130) at 2007 world-cup, 107*(105) at 2011 world-cup and 162*(66) at 2015 world-cup. Overall he's really destructive against West Indians. Against them, he has batted for 22 innings and scored 1279 runs (with an average of 67.31 and a strike-rate of 110.83) including 5 centuries and 4 fifties. Against West Indies, nobody scored more centuries than de Villiers.While most of the batsmen coming from pace-oriented nations struggle a lot at Asia, de Villiers is the most destructive here. At Asian turf, he has played 47 ODI matches (46 innings) and scored 2193 runs with an average of 57.71 and a strike-rate of 99. This includes 10 centuries and 8 fifties. Johannesburg is the place where he scored his historical 149*(44). On this venue, he batted for 11 innings and scored 732 runs with a whopping average of 91.5 which includes 3 centuries and same number of fifty.
Now let's go back to AB de Villiers' historical innings over West Indies at Johannesburg. Before de Villiers came in to the crease, Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw already built a mammoth opening partnership of 247 runs in 38.3 overs. After Jerome Taylor took Rossouw's wicket, de Villiers came in to bat. In his very first ball of that innings, he faced Taylor's slower and nicked it through the long-on for a boundary. After that over, Russell delivered a good length medium pace which de Villiers smashed it through the long-off for a one-bounce boundary. Against the same type of delivery, he took some room at leg, created a gap from the off-stump and hooked it through the square leg. In that same over he again played the same type of shot against the same type of delivery, but this time he turned himself on to his knee and pinched it through the fine-leg. He played the same type of shot against Holder's 41st over. After that delivery, Holder delivered a half volley and de Villiers hammered it through the cover for a massive six and captured his fifty in just 16 balls (broke Jayasurya's 17 ball fifty which was previously the fastest fifty in ODI by ball). At 43rd over, he played a vicious pull against Jerome Taylor for a six. In that same over, he played a perfect placed well-timed reverse sweep against a full toss and scored a four through the third-man. Finished that over with a single and he was 73* off 22 balls in that moment and was heading to break Anderson's record as well. At the next over he played a late cut over Dwayne Smith's slower beamer. He finished the over with a slash for four. Right after the next over, Jason Holder came in to bowl and de Villiers was 98* off 30 deliveries. Holder delivered a yorker out of off-stump, de Villiers created room at the leg and smashed it through the square leg and created history by reaching his hundred in just 31 balls.
De Villiers didn't stop hitting. He kept punishing West Indian bowlers and ended his innings at 149 runs off 44 balls after he got caught out by Russell's bowling. He was only 1 runs behind of breaking the record of fastest 150, which he later broke at 2015 ICC world-cup against the same opponent. Even though off-drive was his productive shot in that innings but he scored runs all over the ground. In that innings, He scored 26 runs at the cow-corner, 12 runs at the fine-leg, 13 runs at third-man and 30 runs at the mid-wicket. He staged a pinch hitting innings in front of 34 thousand crowds and gifted them a wonderful innings which can only be witnessed once in a lifetime.
De Villiers was already a legend. Only thing left was breaking some world records. He broke two world records within a single innings shows how vicious and magnificent that innings was. Villiers is a freak of nature, Nothing can intimidate him. He likes to face challenge and loves to pull his team off from dangerous conditions. He proved his batting abilities in Asian turf as well while current players like Faf du Plessis and Steven Smith often fails with the bat at Asian wicket. De Villiers is the best entertainer and all cricket fans anticipate from him to gift entertaining innings.
De Villiers is a 360 batsman who can hit any ball and place it anywhere he wants. His innings and graphs show how well-rounded his shot placements are. He keeps up his grammatical batting when he comes down at power-plays. But after the ball gets old, he starts his orthodox batting style and that's what shuffles opponent's bowling lineup and demolishes their confidence. He is excellent in all formats but in this article, I'm mainly going to highlight his ODI career. He has played 228 ODI matches (218 innings) and scored 9577 runs at an average of 53.5, a blistering strike-rate of 101.09 and has 25 centuries & 53 fifties in his career. He has played 5 ODI matches for Africa XI and scored a total of 150 runs at an average of 30. AB de Villiers has the record of fastest 50, 100 and 150. During his innings of 149* runs, he broke Sanath Jayasuriya's record of fastest fifty and Corey Anderson's fastest century's record. His highest score in ODI is 176(104) against Bangladesh at Peerl. His first century was at 2007 ICC World Cup where he scored 146 runs out of only 130 balls against West Indies. It was his highest ODI innings for 8 years. Currently de Villiers is ranked 6th in the list of most centuries in ODI career. With 53 fifties and 78 fifty plus scores, he's positioned 13th in the list of most fifty plus scores in ODI. de Villiers has 204 sixes in his ODI career and he's ranked 5th in the list of most sixes in this format of career. With 840 fours in his career, he is positioned 19th in the list of most fours in ODI career. De Villiers is the only batsman in cricket history to score hundreds against the same opposition in 3 consecutive world-cups. He built this record over West Indies. He scored 146(130) at 2007 world-cup, 107*(105) at 2011 world-cup and 162*(66) at 2015 world-cup. Overall he's really destructive against West Indians. Against them, he has batted for 22 innings and scored 1279 runs (with an average of 67.31 and a strike-rate of 110.83) including 5 centuries and 4 fifties. Against West Indies, nobody scored more centuries than de Villiers.While most of the batsmen coming from pace-oriented nations struggle a lot at Asia, de Villiers is the most destructive here. At Asian turf, he has played 47 ODI matches (46 innings) and scored 2193 runs with an average of 57.71 and a strike-rate of 99. This includes 10 centuries and 8 fifties. Johannesburg is the place where he scored his historical 149*(44). On this venue, he batted for 11 innings and scored 732 runs with a whopping average of 91.5 which includes 3 centuries and same number of fifty.
Now let's go back to AB de Villiers' historical innings over West Indies at Johannesburg. Before de Villiers came in to the crease, Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw already built a mammoth opening partnership of 247 runs in 38.3 overs. After Jerome Taylor took Rossouw's wicket, de Villiers came in to bat. In his very first ball of that innings, he faced Taylor's slower and nicked it through the long-on for a boundary. After that over, Russell delivered a good length medium pace which de Villiers smashed it through the long-off for a one-bounce boundary. Against the same type of delivery, he took some room at leg, created a gap from the off-stump and hooked it through the square leg. In that same over he again played the same type of shot against the same type of delivery, but this time he turned himself on to his knee and pinched it through the fine-leg. He played the same type of shot against Holder's 41st over. After that delivery, Holder delivered a half volley and de Villiers hammered it through the cover for a massive six and captured his fifty in just 16 balls (broke Jayasurya's 17 ball fifty which was previously the fastest fifty in ODI by ball). At 43rd over, he played a vicious pull against Jerome Taylor for a six. In that same over, he played a perfect placed well-timed reverse sweep against a full toss and scored a four through the third-man. Finished that over with a single and he was 73* off 22 balls in that moment and was heading to break Anderson's record as well. At the next over he played a late cut over Dwayne Smith's slower beamer. He finished the over with a slash for four. Right after the next over, Jason Holder came in to bowl and de Villiers was 98* off 30 deliveries. Holder delivered a yorker out of off-stump, de Villiers created room at the leg and smashed it through the square leg and created history by reaching his hundred in just 31 balls.
De Villiers didn't stop hitting. He kept punishing West Indian bowlers and ended his innings at 149 runs off 44 balls after he got caught out by Russell's bowling. He was only 1 runs behind of breaking the record of fastest 150, which he later broke at 2015 ICC world-cup against the same opponent. Even though off-drive was his productive shot in that innings but he scored runs all over the ground. In that innings, He scored 26 runs at the cow-corner, 12 runs at the fine-leg, 13 runs at third-man and 30 runs at the mid-wicket. He staged a pinch hitting innings in front of 34 thousand crowds and gifted them a wonderful innings which can only be witnessed once in a lifetime.
De Villiers was already a legend. Only thing left was breaking some world records. He broke two world records within a single innings shows how vicious and magnificent that innings was. Villiers is a freak of nature, Nothing can intimidate him. He likes to face challenge and loves to pull his team off from dangerous conditions. He proved his batting abilities in Asian turf as well while current players like Faf du Plessis and Steven Smith often fails with the bat at Asian wicket. De Villiers is the best entertainer and all cricket fans anticipate from him to gift entertaining innings.
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