JOHANNESBURG—AB de Villiers struck the fastest ever one-day hundred and led three other batsmen in triple figures as South Africa inflicted a severe 148-run drubbing on West Indies in the second One-Day International here yesterday.
Opting to bat first, the Proteas ruthlessly pounded the Windies bowling to amass 439 for two off their 50 overs, with opener Hashim Amla (153 not out), captain AB de Villiers (149) and Rilee Roussouw (128) all compiling centuries.
The total was a record for South Africa, narrowly surpassing their 438 against Australia in 2006, and was just four short of the world record of 443 set by Sri Lanka against Holland also nine years ago.
De Villiers grabbed the opportunity to also rewrite the record books, racing to a phenomenal hundred off a mere 31 deliveries to eclipse the old mark set by New Zealander Corey Anderson who reached his landmark off 36 balls, also against West Indies last year.
Requiring to score at nearly nine and over, West Indies were never really in contention when they chased, especially after big-hitting talisman Chris Gayle fell cheaply for 19 with the score on 36 for one in the fifth over of the innings.
His partner Dwayne Smith top scored with 64, wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin hit 57 while Marlon Samuels and Jonathan Carter both struck 40.
Darren Sammy chipped in with an unbeaten 25 down the order and captain Jason Holder, 21 not out, with the match long gone.
Seamers Morne Morkel, with two for 43, and Vernon Philander, two for 69, finished with two wickets apiece.
Amla and Rossouw took command of the game for South Africa with a record opening stand of 247, as West Indies leaked runs at five an over through the first 20 overs.
The right-handed Amla faced 142 balls and hit 14 fours in compiling his 18th ODI hundred while Rossouw counted 11 fours and two sixes in a 115-ball knock, that brought him his maiden one-day century.
Even then, their stand never hinted at a total beyond 400 as South Africa eased to 142 without loss at the half-way point of the innings.
The left-handed Rossouw, 25, was the first to his hundred with a single to deep mid-wicket off the last ball of the 34th over bowled by seamer Andre Russell, also raising the 200-run mark.
Amla followed him three balls later in the next over from Dwayne Smith, carving the slow medium bowler to backward point for four. (CMC)
