SYDNEY, Feb 27 (PTI): Skipper AB de Villiers hammered the fastest 150 in ODI history as he led South Africa to a record-equalling 257-run win over the West Indies in a Pool B cricket World Cup match, here today.
Thanks to a sensational 66-ball 162 from de Villiers, South Africa posted World Cup�s second-highest total of 408 for five and then inflicted further humiliation on the Caribbean side by skittling them out for a measly 151 in 33.1 overs.
Leg-spinner Imran Tahir returned career-best figures of five for 45 to add insult to the West Indies injury. Now India and South Africa jointly hold the record for victory with highest margin in the World Cup history as the defending champions had humbled Bermuda by 257 runs in the 2007 edition.
South Africa have now jumped to second spot in the points table while the West Indies are now fourth. Electing to bat, South Africa made a cautious but solid start with Hashim Amla (65) and Faf du Plessis (62) scoring sedate half centuries before swashbuckling de Villiers took over to treat the capacity Sydney Cricket Ground crowd with an unbelievable show of boundary hitting for a career-best knock.
He punished the Caribbean bowlers with 17 fours and eight sixes in his sensational unbeaten innings after coming at the fall of Amla�s wicket in the 30th over. The team total at that time was 146 for three.
South Africa scored 150 runs from the final 10 overs to score the second highest total in any World Cup match behind India�s 413 for five against Bermuda in Port-of-Spain in 2007.
West Indies needed Chris Gayle to fire chasing such a mammoth total but the big-hitting left-hander managed only 3 and the Caribbean side buckled under pressure. Skipper Jason Holder top scored for them with a 56-run knock batting at number nine while opener Dwayne Smith managed 31 as only four Caribbean batsmen managed double-digit scores.
The 31-year-old de Villiers, who holds the record of fastest ODI hundred from just 31 balls, notched up the second quickest century in any World Cup with his 52-ball ton, missing the record by just two balls.
Kevin O�Brien had hit the fastest century from 50 balls against England in the 2011 edition.
SCORECARD
South Africa: Quinton de Kock c Russell b Holder 12, Hashim Amla lbw b Gayle 65, Faf du Plessis c Ramdin b Gayle 62, Rilee Rossouw c Ramdin b Russell 61, AB de Villiers not out 162, David Miller c Taylor b Russell 20, Farhaan Behardien not out 10. Extras: (LB-2 W-11 NB-3) 16. Total: (For 5 wkts in 50 overs) 408. Fall of wickets: 1/18, 2/145, 3/146, 4/280, 5/328. Bowling: Jerome Taylor 8-1-64-0, Jason Holder 10-2-104-1, Andre Russell 9-0-74-2, Marlon Samuels 2-0-14-0, Sulieman Benn 10-0-79-0, Darren Sammy 7-0-50-0, Chris Gayle 4-0-21-2.
West Indies: Dwayne Smith c Miller b Tahir 31, Chris Gayle b Abbott 3, Marlon Samuels c de Kock b Abbott 0, Jonathan Carter c de Villiers b Morkel 10, Denesh Ramdin b Tahir 22, Lendl Simmons lbw b Tahir 0, Darren Sammy st de Kock b Tahir 5, Andre Russell c Abbott b Tahir 0, Jason Holder c Amla b Steyn 56, Jerome Taylor not out 15, Sulieman Benn c Amla b Morkel 1. Extras: (LB-5, W-3) 8. TOTAL: (all out; 33.1 overs) 151. Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-16, 3-52, 4-52, 5-53, 6-63, 7-63, 8-108, 9-150. Bowling: Dale Steyn 7-0-24-1, Kyle Abbott 8-0-37-2, Morne Morkel 5.1-0-23-2, Imran Tahir 10-2-45-5, Francois du Plessis 3-0-17-0.
