AB Goes Villainy On Windies

Perkins-Tino Bare

I have never been a Proteas fan and I will most likely never be one but the quality of cricket on display yesterday, especially from the man of the moment AB De Villiers, left most of us in awe gazing as the Proteas adopted a ruthless type of play in their lukewarm series against the West Indies who have since failed to be competitive.

It was a records galore at the Bidvest Wanderers as AB de Villiers stole the show going all guns blazing as he sailed his way to a ton from just 31 deliveries with the major highlight being 16 sixes.

With the previous world record being held by Corey Anderson whom it took 36 deliveries to get to a 100, yesterday it took De Villiers almost an over less to break it as he thundered his way to an unbelievable 149 off just 49 balls with nine fours and a magnificent 16 Sixes.

It took De Villiers only 31 balls to get to his hundred and he also set another world record for the fastest fifty as it took him less than 3 overs to reach his fifty as he did it from just 16 balls.

AB, branded the “most valuable cricketer on the planet” by Aussie legend Adam Gilchrist also equaled Rohit Sharma`s world record for the most number of sixes smashed in an innings with 16 sixes in the innings.

De Villiers also set the record for the highest run rate during his 192 run stand off 67 balls partnered by Hashim Amla.

It was clearly De Villiers` day as he also had a highest strike rate of 339 during his innings of 149 which is the highest strike rate for a 50 plus knock and the first and the first time that a batsmen has made a 100 plus score at a 300 plus strike rate.

South Africa also amassed an unbelievable 163 runs off their last ten overs which is well in the range of our Chevrons` ODI average. It was however to be a reprieve for the Zimbabwean duo of Brian Vitori and Elton Chigumbura as they were joined on the wall of shame for conceding the most runs in an ODI international by Taylor and Holder, the quartet becoming the only bowlers to concede 90 plus runs in an ODI match. With the match all but done, the West Indies could only manage 291 runs losing the match by a mammoth 148 runs.

Now both South Africa and the West Indies are in our pool and of course we do not have players of the ilk of De Villlers or Chris Gayle for that matter, but with the `ridiculous` exclusion of Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo all but confirming that the disputes between the players and the WICB is not yet over as the pair are purported to have been the masterminds behind their ugly fallout with India. Fact is West Indies is no longer that same team we used to revere and they are going into this World Cup with morale at an all-time low, it is no longer that same fearsome team but what is left is just a pale shadow of its former self and if our boys can get it right they can surely snitch a victory down under.