AB de Villiers struck the fastest hundred in one-day international history off 31 balls as South Africa beat West Indies by 148 runs to go 2-0 up in the series after racking up 439-2 in the second ODI at Johannesburg.
De Villiers blazed 149 off 44 balls, beating the previous quickest century scored by New Zealand’s Corey Anderson against the West Indies off 36 balls in 2014, to power South Africa to their highest ever ODI score.
Hashim Amla (153no) and Rilee Rossouw (128) also struck hundreds – sharing a world record opening stand of 247 in 38.3 overs – but it was De Villiers’ onslaught of 16 sixes and nine fours that cut the Windies’ attack to shreds.
Bob Willis gives his take on AB de Villiers' world record 31-ball hundred
The 30-year-old dominated a second-wicket stand of 192 runs off 68 balls with Amla, Sulieman Benn (0-49 off 10 overs) the only bowler to escape severe punishment.
De Villiers had earlier broken Sanath Jayasuriya's 19-year record for the fastest ODI fifty, needing just 16 balls to achieve the feat.
West Indies – who opted to field – struggled to make inroads from the off until Benn won an lbw appeal against Rossouw, who had 31 at the time, only for the decision to be reversed on review because the opener had got a bottom edge on the ball. Set a world record 440 to win, West Indies lost talisman Chris Gayle for 19 as he attempted to pull Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander trapped Leon Johnson lbw for a single to make it 63-2.
Farhaan Behardien picked up the key wicket of Dwayne Smith, caught at long off for 64 off 65 balls just when it appeared the opener might be set for a special innings of his own.
Marlon Samuels (40) and Jonathan Carter (40) made solid contributions, while Denesh Ramdin reached his sixth one-day international fifty off 45 balls with four fours and one six but Andre Russell hit the very next ball – his first – from Imran Tahir straight to deep midwicket.Ramdin’s resistance came to an end when he skied a catch to Faf du
