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South Africa's tally of 408 for five was the second highest posted in a World Cup match and a shell-shocked West Indies could only manage 151 in reply.
Updated : Sep 29, 2017, 07:54 PM IST
AB de Villiers confirmed his status as the most destructive batsman in cricket with a magnificent unbeaten 162 from just 66 balls to lead South Africa to a record 257-run victory over West Indies in the World Cup on Friday.
South Africa's tally of 408 for five was the second highest posted in a World Cup match and a shell-shocked West Indies could only manage 151 in reply, Chris Gayle backing up his record 215 against Zimbabwe on Tuesday with a paltry three.
It was the joint fourth largest margin of victory by runs in an one-day international and also equalled the largest margin in a World Cup match, matching India's 257-run win over Bermuda in 2007.
De Villiers earlier continued his one-man mission to redefine limited overs batting with the quickest century in one-day internationals on Australian soil (52 balls) and the fastest 150 ever in the 50-over format (64 balls).
Utilising his full repertoire of strokes in an awesome display of batting, he flogged the West Indies bowlers with eight sixes and 17 fours in a 104-minute knock that will live long in the memory.
His last 50 runs came off just 12 balls and brought the 23,612 crowd at a sun-bathed Sydney Cricket Ground to their feet chanting "AB!, AB!, AB!".
South Africa were desperate to kickstart their campaign after their 130-run defeat to India in their last Pool B match and de Villiers ensured they would.
The 31-year-old shared stands of 134 runs with Rilee Rossouw (61), 48 with David Miller (20) and an unbeaten 80 in 3.2 overs with Farhaan Behardien to turn around his country's innings after West Indies had made a promising start to the match.
West Indies captain Jason Holder, who had bowled two maidens, taken one wicket and conceded nine runs in his first five overs, ended up with figures of 1-104 after giving up 64 runs in his last two overs.
Caribbean hopes of any kind of riposte to the carnage wrought by de Villiers rested largely in the hands of Gayle, who had contributed to his side's good start by taking two wickets in the 30th over to reduce South Africa to 146-3.
The 35-year-old opener had faced just three balls, however, when he took a huge swing at a Kyle Abbott delivery and lost his leg stump.
The West Indies soon looked like the demoralised rabble that lost their tournament opener to Ireland with only Dwayne Smith (31), Denesh Ramdin (22) and Holder (56), with his maiden ODI half century, offering more than token resistance.
Spinner Imran Tahir finished with figures of 5-45 to become the first South African to take a five-wicket haul in a World Cup match.
Twitter was flooded with reactions following de Villiers' feat:
ABD now has the fastest 50, 100 and 150 in ODI cricket!!! Surely, for a long span of time, No kid in WI will... http://t.co/qUEnGE7LeV
— Amol Chitte (@chitte_amol) February 27, 2015
Jason Holder's last two overs today: 64 runs!!!! 4 6n 2 4n 4 4 2 6 (34 runs) 2 6 6 4 6 6 (30 runs) #cwc15 #SAvWI
— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) February 27, 2015
What! 2 centurians? de @ABdeVilliers17 and Holder! well played both. A captain's innings by both. #SAvWI
— Filmantic Villkhoo (@filmantic) February 27, 2015
I used to believe we are alone in this universe until I saw ABDV bat. #SAvWI
— Sudipto Roy (@sudipto21) February 27, 2015
Latest from the World Cup Pool B match between South Africa and West Indies at Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.
South Africa innnings
1st over - Quinton de Kock hits two fours off the over but Jerome Taylor also got some menacing bounce off the track. SA: 8-0
2nd over - West Indies skipper Jason Holder starts with a maiden over to Hashim Amla. SA: 8-0
3rd over - Maiden for Taylor. SA: 8-0
4th over - De Kock gets an inside edge that runs for four. SA: 14-0
5th over - Amla gets off the mark with two runs to mid-off and then gets a couple more off the next ball. SA: 18-0
6th over - Holder rewarded for his fine opening spell when de Kock cuts the ball to Andre Russell at cover for 12. Faf du Plessis is the new batsman. SA: 18-1
7th over - Amla loses his boot taking a single. Du Plessis gets off the mark with two runs past Chris Gayle, who is fielding at extra cover. SA: 24-1
10th over - Du Plessis takes a rushed single off the final ball of the powerplay, leaving Holder with figures of 1-9 in his first five overs. SA: 30-1
#SAvsWI is already trending. People have been offering their expert opinions since even before the match began.
I Think SA might have missed a trick here. This WI team on their day can chase anything but these bowlers can never defend #SAvsWI #CWC2015
— Rajesh Meena (@itsrajeshmeena) February 27, 2015
At least 100+ 20 overs #SAvsWI
— IG : @ThatoTee (@ThatoTee) February 27, 2015
Here's a piece of trivia too:
AB de Villiers has faced 29 balls from Jason Holder in ODIs and scored 62 runs without being dismissed hitting 5 4's & 6 6's #SAvsWI #CWC15
— Mighty Aussies \m/ (@LocalPowerstar) February 27, 2015
13th over - The batsmen look more comfortable with the new ball bowlers taking a rest. Du Plessis flirts with danger with a top edge off Russell but it hits the ground for two runs. SA: 46-1
15th over - Du Plessis pulls a short Russell delivery through mid-on for the first boundary since the fourth over. SA: 58-1
16th over - Amla gets his first boundary, again punishing a short ball this time from Sulieman Benn. SA: 68-1
24th over - Amla grabs a single to long-on to bring up the 100 for South Africa. SA: 102-1
25th over - Amla steps down the wicket and smashes a six off Darren Sammy just over the long-on boundary to bring up his half century off 75 balls. SA: 112-1
27th over - Du Plessis tries to match Amla by bringing up his fifty with a six but the ball hits the ground just short of the boundary rope. Reaches the milestone with a single off the following delivery, the 59th he has faced. SA: 128-1
29th over - Du Plessis lofts Marlon Samuels over extra cover for another four that was almost a six. Only his third boundary. SA: 145-1
30th over - Gayle's off-spin gets the breakthough West Indies so dearly needed. Du Plessis (62) steps back but cannot get hold of the ball and Denesh Ramdin takes a brilliant catch behind the stumps. Two balls later and Gayle traps Amla lbw for 65. Skipper AB de Villiers joins Rilee Rossouw at the crease. SA: 147-3
33rd over - Rilee Rossouw hits Sammy for two back-to-back boundaries as South Africa take 12 runs of the over. SA: 171-3.
35th over - Jerome Taylor sends down a short delivery and Rossouw rocks back and pulls it powerfully to the square leg boundary. SA: 186-3.
37th over - Rossouw cover-drives Taylor for a boundary to raise his fifty-run partnership with de Villiers and takes two off the next to take his team to 200-mark. The batsman collects another boundary off the third delivery which is adjudged a no-ball as Taylor had overstepped. Rossouw gets a single off the free-hit delivery but de Villiers hits the next for a four. Taylor concedes 18 runs in the over. SA: 212-3.
38th over - De Villiers joins the party, hitting Holder for back-to-back boundaries. SA: 224-3.
39th over - Rossouw continues punishing Taylor, hits the bowler for a six to bring up his fifty in style. SA 240-3.
40th over - Sulieman Benn is back in the attack and de Villiers hits his third delivery for a six and follows it with two boundaries, the second bringing up his fifty in 30 balls. SA: 258-3.
400 is always on the cards when ABD is at the crease. #SAvWI
— Van Der Sarthak (@SarthakMUFC_) February 27, 2015
AB De Villiers best cricketer in the world by a Mile #SAvWI #ICCWorldCup2015
— Oliver Gualano (@Ollie_Gualano) February 27, 2015
41st over - Russell is back in attack and de Villiers hits his last two deliveries for boundaries. SA: 269-3.
42nd over - Rossouw and de Villiers collect a boundary each off Benn. SA: 280-3.
43rd over: Russell dismisses Rossouw for 61 as the batsman edges him to perish caught behind after an entertaining 39-ball knock. SA: 286-4.
44th over: De Villiers unfurls two sweep shots to hit left-arm spinner Benn for back-to-back boundaries. SA: 299-4.
45th over: David Miller takes a single off Russell to raise South Africa's 300. De Villiers plays an audaciouis lap-sweep to clear long-leg ropes for a six. SA: 312-4.
47th over - De Villiers hits Russel for a boundary with a virtually one-handed sweep which leaves the bowler shaking head in disbelief. Two balls later, Taylor leaps near the boundary rope to take a one-handed blinder to dismiss Miller. SA: 330-5.
48th over - De Villiers hits Holder for a four and follows it with a six to bring up his 100 in 52 balls, second fastest in World Cup history. Holder, under pressure, bowls two no-balls and the whole team look rattled as Benn misjudges a de Villiers skyer and grasses it. Holder concedes 34 runs in that over as South Africa post their highest World Cup score. SA: 364-5
49th over - Farhaan Behardien clears long-off boundary for his first six. Two balls later, de Villiers pulls Russell and Jonathan Carter dives at deep wicket but cannot catch it. De Villiers gets another reprieve when Dwayne Smith drops a chest-high catch at cover. SA: 378-5
50th over - De Villiers hits Holder for four sixes and a boundary to plunder 30 runs of the over. De Villiers' 150, fastest in ODIs, comes in 64 balls. De Villiers and Behardien plunder 80 runs off 3.2 overs for the unseparated sixth wicket. SA: 408-5.
West Indies innings
1st over - Beaten by the previous delivery, Dwayne Smith hits Dale Steyn's final ball over deep midwicket for a six. WI: 10-0
2nd over - Kyle Abbott draws first blood for South Africa as Chris Gayle's wild swing missed the ball which crashed onto his stumps. WI: 13-1.
4th over - Abbot returns to strike again as Marlon Samuels pushed at a ball outside off-stump to perish caught behind even before he could open his account. WI: 16-2.
5th over - Steyn misses an opportunity to catch Smith off his own bowling after the batsman had checked his shot. WI: 20-2
6th over - Smith and Jonathan Carter collect a boundary each off Abbott's third over. WI: 29-2.
8th over - Abbott is denied his third wicket when a tumbling Imran Tahir drops Smith's mistimed shot at mid-on. Two balls later, Smith is lucky not to drag the ball onto his stump and collect a boundary instead. WI: 37-2.
10th over - Smith is in more control this time as he hits Abbot through mid-on for a boundary. WI: 47-2.
11th over - Carter departs, done in by Morne Morkel's extra bounce, after mistiming his pull shot to see AB de Villiers run from mid-on to take a diving catch. WI: 52-3
12th over - Leg-spinner Imran Tahir strikes with the first and last deliveries of the over to derail the West Indies chase. David Miller hurls himself at long on to take a blinder to send back Smith (31) and Lendl Simmons is trapped LBW. WI: 53-5
18th over - Tahir deals another double-wicket blow. He gets Darren Sammy stumped with a googly and has Andre Russell caught by Abbott at short third man. WI: 63-7
22nd over - Jason Holder moves to leg side and heaves a Tahir delivery over long-off for his second six. WI: 85-7
26th over - Tahir claims his first five-wicket haul in ODIs with a delivery that crashes through Denesh Ramdin's defence. WI: 108-8
30th over: Holder hits Tahir for a four and follows it up with a six over long-on boundary as West Indies avoid their worst defeat in ODI history. WI: 129-8
33rd over: Holder's 56-run knock comes to an end when he offers a catch to Hashim Amla at mid-on. Steyn, who was hit for a six earlier in the over, gets his first wicket. WI: 151-9
34th over - Morkel ends West Indies' misery as Sulieman Benn edges the ball to slip. West Indies all out for 151 runs to succumb to the joint biggest defeat in World Cup.
26th over - Tahir claims his first five-wicket haul in ODIs with a delivery that crashes through Denesh Ramdin's defence. WI: 108-8
30th over: Holder hits Tahir for a four and follows it up with a six over long-on boundary as West Indies avoid their worst defeat in ODI history. WI: 129-8
Wow. Just caught up on the #SAvWI game. Puts the effort put in by #IND in perspective. Makes the #SA win all the more special. #CWC15
— Raheel Khursheed (@Raheelk) February 27, 2015
South Africa's performance today is the highest impact performance by any team in this World Cup so far. #scorewithdata #SAvWI
— Impact Index Cricket (@Impact_Index) February 27, 2015