Photo: AB DE Villers (AP)
The West Indies were made to toil hard, in a world record chase of 439 runs set by the South Africa team in their second ODI match in their five match series on Sunday in the New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. The score was just 5 runs short of the current world record score held by Sri Lanka’s who scored 443 for nine against the Netherlands in 2006.
The opening batsmen Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw left the blocks flying, hitting centuries in a South African record first wicket stand. The momentum continued as one AB de Villiers hit the fastest century in one-day international history as the local side took the Windies bowlers for match practice, slamming and turning delivery after delivery to every part of the field.
He went to fifty off 16 balls, one fewer than Sanath Jayasuriya’s previous record for the fastest half-century, for Sri Lanka against Pakistan in 1995/96, then powered his way past New Zealand’s Corey Anderson’s record for the fastest ODI century.
The target was never likely to be within the reach of the West Indies, especially after big-hitting Chris Gayle was caught at deep midwicket off Morne Morkel for 19 in the fifth over.
Dwayne Smith, caught off a Morkel no-ball in the first over when he had four, made 64 off 65 balls and Denesh Ramdin contributed 57 off 55 deliveries.
They however managed a respectable 291 for seven to give South Africa a 148-run win and a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
“AB really took the game away from us,” said West Indian captain Jason Holder. “The ball went everywhere, that’s what exceptional players do.”
The third match in the series will be played on the 21 of January at the same venue.
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