IN SHORT: AB de Villiers smashes career best ODI score of 176(104).
Today, 18th October 2017, South Africa took on Bangladesh in the 2nd ODI of their 3-match series, at the Boland Park, Paarl. Bangladesh won the toss and once again, they would’ve regretted their decision of wanting to field first.
Amla was dismissed for 85 but in came AB de Villiers, who hasn’t played international cricket since quite a while. Batting in his comeback match, de Villiers scored a brisk fifty but seeing how well his country was positioned at the time, he realised he was in with a chance of making a big score.
He was a part of the team in the 1st ODI, but he wasn’t required as Amla & de Kock put up a record opening stand, giving South Africa a 10-wicket victory. Today, ABD was given a chance to bat, and he didn’t miss out on this opportunity.
Shakib al Hasan pulled things back for Bangladesh, getting de Kock & du Plessis in the same over, and reducing the hosts to 90/2. However, Mr. 360 walked in and made sure they got back on track, hitting the ball to every corner of the ground.
ABD hit 15 boundaries and 7 massive sixes in his innings of 176(104), ensuring South Africa got to a competitive total. He seemed to be enjoying himself out there, as he took on every bowler, and was batting on 173* with 3 overs left in the innings.
Why isn't ABD a part of the fab four? He's a genius. What an innings on his comeback.#SScricket #SAvBAN #BanvSA
— Read Scoops (@ReadScoops) October 18, 2017
I, along with millions of ABD fans around the world, was waiting for him to go berserk in the final three overs, and get to his maiden ODI double century. However, that wasn’t to be as he holed out to the deep in the 48th over, off the bowling of Rubel Hossain.
The last couple of overs was a bore really, as I was sitting at the edge of my seat before ABD was dismissed. I was also preparing my post title as ‘ABD smashes maiden ODI double hundred’. However, it wasn’t to be, TODAY. Maybe another day. Maybe in the 3rd ODI itself.
Before today, de Villiers had a career best ODI score of 162, but he cruised past it, hitting Taskin for 18 in 4 balls in the 46th over. He seemed to enjoy today’s knock and you could see that in his celebrations every time he crossed a milestone:
Best score for South Africans in ODIs
188* – Kristen
185 – Du Plessis
178 – De Kock
176 – AB de Villiers (today)
175 – Gibbs#SAvBAN pic.twitter.com/CCw72TFVdl— Krimu Views (@KrimuViews) October 18, 2017
de Villiers got to his century in just 68 balls – his 25th ODI century. He has now equalled Sangakkara at 25 tons, and is #6 on the list of most ODI centuries, immediately behind his teammate Hashim Amla at the moment. Talking about records, de Villiers also crossed the 150-mark in less than 100 balls, becoming the first ever cricketer to have done so TWICE.
Had he put on another 13 runs, he would’ve got to the highest ODI score ever by a South African. With the balls to spare, he could’ve crossed in by another 10-12 runs, to be honest. The hosts eventually got up to 353/6, which is going to be a mountain to climb for Bangladesh, even though they conceded only 14 runs in the last 3 overs.
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