• AB: Ball-by-ball account

    Relive, courtesy of Cricinfo.com, a ball-by-ball account of how it happened during his innings at the Wanderers on Sunday.

    38.4 Taylor to de Villiers, FOUR, full delivery just outside off, slower ball, picks it up and slaps down the ground inside mid-on
    38.5 Taylor to de Villiers, 2 runs, slightly tighter line, driven at again, this takes a thick outside edge which flies down to third man on a few bounces
    38.6 Taylor to de Villiers, 1 run, fuller length, angled down to third man
    Big over, is this the start of the onslaught? Anything shy of 340 is surely a wasted opportunity from this position…
    End of over 39 (15 runs) South Africa 254/1 (RR: 6.51)
    AB de Villiers 7 (3b 1×4), HM Amla 114 (116b 10×4)
    Russell reintroduced…

    39.1 Russell to de Villiers, 1 run, full length on the off stump, nudged through cover for an easy single
    39.3 Russell to de Villiers, FOUR, off stump line, de Villiers steps away to leg and lifts over mid-off, timed well enough
    39.4 Russell to de Villiers, SIX, steps off side this time and pulls over square leg, what a shot! Slightly back of a length but far from a back ball, de Villiers times it so well
    39.5 Russell to de Villiers, FOUR, fuller length, clears the front leg and slaps is wide and over mid-off once more, brilliant batting
    39.6 Russell to de Villiers, SIX, gets down on one knee almost outside off stump and scoops it over backward square! It carries all the way for six. He almost lifted it over his shoulder! How do you bowl against this?
    End of over 40 (22 runs) South Africa 276/1 (RR: 6.90)
    AB de Villiers 28 (8b 3×4 2×6), HM Amla 115 (117b 10×4)
    104 from the last 10…10 more to go! Titan: “With AB there until the end 400 is not impossible.”

    40.2 Taylor to de Villiers, SIX, doesn’t matter where the fielders are with this bowling, low full toss on off stump blasted over long-off, poor ball but emphatically put away
    All the field up on the off side…
    40.3 Taylor to de Villiers, no run, low and behold, tried to back to the leg side, slower ball, de Villiers inside edges back to the bowler
    40.4 Taylor to de Villiers, 2 runs, backs to the leg side, bowler follows him and bowls a decent yorker, dug out down to long leg, de Villiers doesn’t know where the ball has gone but when he realises, charges back for the second
    40.5 Taylor to de Villiers, 2 runs, steps to leg again, followed again, short this time, slapped down but wide of deep midwicket, two more
    40.6 Taylor to de Villiers, 1 leg bye, tries to reverse paddle this time and misses a full ball, runs off the pad to square leg
    Thought the off side field up was the wrong choice but actually forced de Villiers’ hand and they could bowl it to, so fair play it worked…
    End of over 41 (12 runs) South Africa 288/1 (RR: 7.02)
    AB de Villiers 38 (13b 3×4 3×6), HM Amla 116 (118b 10×4)
    Holder back…

    41.1 Holder to de Villiers, 1 run, very full just outside off, whacked straight down to long-on
    41.3 Holder to de Villiers, SIX, steps across the off stump and lifts a full toss over backward square leg, another incredible shot, so far across off and helps it into the stands
    Six needed now for the fastest fifty record…
    41.4 Holder to de Villiers, SIX, length on off stump, smashed down the ground and into the stands!! There’s the record. A gorgeous clean strike over long-off, such timing
    41.5 Holder to de Villiers, SIX, fuller length, slapped down the ground, hasn’t got this at all, is long-on going to get there? No! It falls over his head over the rope, the thin air took that for six
    41.6 Holder to de Villiers, FOUR, full and wide now and carved over cover, four more
    Massive over and this is amazing stuff from de Villiers, absolutely wonderful to watch…
    End of over 42 (24 runs) South Africa 312/1 (RR: 7.42)
    AB de Villiers 61 (18b 4×4 6×6), HM Amla 117 (119b 10×4)

    42.2 Taylor to de Villiers, SIX, short at the body, hooked at, bit of a top edge but it doesn’t matter, sails way back into the stands over fine leg
    42.3 Taylor to de Villiers, 1 run, yorker on leg stump, dug out only as far as deep square along the floor
    42.5 Taylor to de Villiers, FOUR, low full toss, this time de Villers is down low to steer an 85mph ball past short third man, what bravely really to reverse paddle that from leg stump
    42.6 Taylor to de Villiers, 1 run, slower ball, back of a length, follows de Villiers stepping back to leg but he only pulls out to deep midwicket
    End of over 43 (18 runs) South Africa 330/1 (RR: 7.67)
    AB de Villiers 73 (22b 5×4 7×6), HM Amla 123 (121b 10×4)
    Can the West Indies do anything to rein this in? 91 runs from the last five overs! Smith with the bowling now…

    43.1 Smith to de Villiers, 1 run, yorker a foot outside off, de Villiers aiming leg side gets an inside edge into the pad, runs off towards point
    43.5 Smith to de Villiers, no run, very full on the stumps, slapped straight back to the bowler
    43.6 Smith to de Villiers, (no ball) FOUR, high full toss, de Villiers backs away and slaps this off side, gets a thick outside edge past Ramdin’s right hand
    43.6 Smith to de Villiers, FOUR, full length, swung down the ground inside long-on and just carries onto the boundary hoarding does it? No just short
    de Villiers needs 18 runs in nine balls for the fastest ODI century…
    End of over 44 (19 runs) South Africa 349/1 (RR: 7.93)
    AB de Villiers 82 (26b 7×4 7×6), HM Amla 132 (124b 12×4)
    Russell back for the bowling machine role…

    44.5 Russell to de Villiers, no run, nicely bowled, followed the batsman backing to leg, yorker right at the batsman’s heels and de Villiers can do nothing with it
    44.6 Russell to de Villiers, SIX, does something with this though, shuffling right across his stumps once more to lift over backward-square leg, picked up perfectly and it flies into the stands again
    End of over 45 (11 runs) South Africa 360/1 (RR: 8.00)
    AB de Villiers 88 (28b 7×4 8×6), HM Amla 137 (128b 12×4)
    Holder again…

    45.3 Holder to de Villiers, FOUR, full length on the stumps, misses the yorker and this is swung down the ground, beautiful smooth strike through the line, only just short of another six, into the 90s now
    45.4 Holder to de Villiers, SIX, steps across the stumps and lifts a six over backward square again, bowler misses the yorker again and gets punished once more
    de Villiers cruising to the fastest ton now…
    45.5 Holder to de Villiers, SIX, around the wicket, full just outside off, de Villiers slog sweeps it over deep midwicket and there it is!! The fastest ODI century. What an incredible knock
    45.6 Holder to de Villiers, SIX, full on the stumps and it sails away again! Now it’s the record for most sixes in an innings by a South African in an ODI. Straight back over the bowler’s head this time
    Simply outrageous…
    End of over 46 (23 runs) South Africa 383/1 (RR: 8.32)
    AB de Villiers 110 (32b 8×4 11×6), HM Amla 138 (130b 12×4)
    What other records can they break here? Highest ODI total 443…

    46.3 Russell to de Villiers, 1 leg bye, excellent yorker – off the pad wide of the keeper
    46.6  Russell to de Villiers, SIX, full length right at the stumps, de Villiers back away to leg and swung hard over the off side, it carries over the deep point fence! How did that go for six? It sailed away once more, mad stuff here
    End of over 47 (11 runs) South Africa 394/1 (RR: 8.38)
    AB de Villiers 116 (34b 8×4 12×6), HM Amla 142 (134b 12×4)

    Taylor changes ends…
    47.4 Taylor to de Villiers, 1 run, goes for the reverse paddle but gets a toe-end from a yorker to backward point
    End of over 48 (12 runs) South Africa 406/1 (RR: 8.45)
    HM Amla 152 (139b 14×4), AB de Villiers 117 (35b 8×4 12×6)

    Smith back…
    48.1 Smith to de Villiers, SIX, whoops, yorker missed, de Villiers whacks it over wide midwicket, timed so well
    48.2 Smith to de Villiers, SIX, length now, back to pull and it carries towards the same boundary and just clears the long boundary and the tallest man on the field, Benn
    48.3 Smith to de Villiers, FOUR, excellent yorker just outside off but de Villiers digs it out and squirts it past short long leg, that is very unlucky for the bowler
    48.4 Smith to de Villiers, SIX, as good as the last ball was, this is pants, back of length, pulled over square leg, nailed it once more, everything has been nailed
    48.5 Smith to de Villiers, SIX, full on the off stump, yorker missed, and it disappears over long-off, this is ridiculous, lovely flowing stroke, it goes way back
    48.6 Smith to de Villiers, 2 runs, slower ball on the stumps, slapped leg side, to the right of deep midwicket and they get back for the second
    What an over. Eight runs needed now for the highest total in an ODI…
    End of over 49 (30 runs) South Africa 436/1 (RR: 8.89)
    AB de Villiers 147 (41b 9×4 16×6), HM Amla 152 (139b 14×4)

    Russell to bowl the last…
    The crowd is like the colosseum, AB, AB, AB…
    49.2 Russell to de Villiers, 2 runs, full just outside off, lifted over point, not timed perfectly, they get back for two and that’s South Africa’s highest ODI score
    49.3 Russell to de Villiers, no run, around the wicket, full length wide of off stump, de Villiers missed completely
    +49.4 Russell to de Villiers, OUT, fuller length, smashed over the off side but straight to deep cover! Finally de Villiers finds the fielder but there was no luck in this absolutely outrageous innings. Couldn’t find the gap this time, it was a firm strike but straight to the fielder. The record-breaker departs
    AB de Villiers c Carter b Russell 149 (59m 44b 9×4 16×6) SR: 338.63

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