18th January, Johannesburg, 2015. Although this date has been registered into the history books but still it is very vivid into the minds of cricket fans by the fact that it was the day when the former South Africa batsman AB de Villiers has surpassed the record of fastest ODI hundred (31-ball hundred) which was before held by Corey Anderson (36-ball hundred) in 2014 against West Indies. Some of the absolute surreal hitting by Mr 360 man all over the park when there were just 11 overs left in the innings. This knock was special from the previous knocks of other players in many ways. Where other players have smashed the century when there was the pressure of overs in the game. AB de villiers in his own way took the stage and destroyed the opposition bowling like no other to produce one of the greatest innings in the history of cricket when there were just – 66 balls left in the innings.
After losing the test series by 2-0, West Indies was all set to featured in limited overs cricket fixtures against hosts (South Africa) in the 5-match ODI series. West Indies have came into the second ODI game after the losing first game and they have won the toss and have decided to bowl first (biggest mistake they have done) in the second ODI game against South Africa at Johannesburg. The openers Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw put on 247 run-partnership for the first wicket by the end 39th overs. Rilee Rossouw who scored 128 runs off 115 balls which featured 11 fours and 2 sixes before caught by Suleiman Benn on Jerome Taylor delivery at the score of 247/1. Instead of Faf Du Plessis, the South Africa team sent AB de villiers to add some runs to take the scoreboard over 300 plus runs. 11 more overs to go and in 66 balls nobody would have thought that South Africa will register the second highest ODI score in cricket history. AB de Villiers has came with different ideas and it was cleared from the word go. In just 16 balls AB de villiers has smashed the fastest ODI half-century in the cricket history.
With that South Africa has reached the 300 runs mark in just 41.4 overs. But what’s next was AB de villiers at its best with his jaw-dropping strokeplay hitting. Both the batsmen have added 100 runs-partnership for the second wicket in just 34 balls where AB de villiers contributed 82 runs. The moment has arrived when AB de villiers has entered the record books with the fastest man to score ODI Hundred in just 31 balls which featured 8 sixes and 4 fours. In the last 35 balls South has scored 89 runs and the pair have added 150 runs stand partnership in just 54 balls with AB de villiers contributed 116 runs in that partnership. The partnership was broken by Russell who took the wicket of AB de villiers at score 439/2 in the last over of the innings. AB de villiers has scored 149 runs off 44 balls which featured 9 fours and 16 sixes. While Hashim Amla remained unbeaten on 153 runs. In reply the visitors (West Indies) have been restricted to the score of 291 runs in the 50 overs and lost the match by 148 runs. AB de villiers was awarded Man of the match for his surreal records in the match and later on South Africa went onto to win the ODI series by 4-1 against West Indies.
Here is that innings of AB De Villiers fastest ODI hundred take a look
