De Villiers smashes ODI best as Proteas seal series

It was like he had never been away as AB De Villiers chalked up an ODI milestone in South Africa's win over Bangladesh.

Published : Oct 18, 2017 22:07 IST

De Villiers played with eye-catching fluency, smashing 15 fours and seven sixes en route to beating his previous best of 162, as South Africa posted 353-6 – a record score for a team in Paarl.
De Villiers played with eye-catching fluency, smashing 15 fours and seven sixes en route to beating his previous best of 162, as South Africa posted 353-6 – a record score for a team in Paarl.
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De Villiers played with eye-catching fluency, smashing 15 fours and seven sixes en route to beating his previous best of 162, as South Africa posted 353-6 – a record score for a team in Paarl.

AB de Villiers made a devastating return with the bat by smashing his highest one-day international score as South Africa thrashed Bangladesh by 104 runs to seal a 2-0 series win.

The explosive De Villiers did not feature in the middle during the first contest in Kimberley, as Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock centuries helped the Proteas make history with the highest run chase without losing a wicket.

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Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary

Amla again impressed with a measured 85, but he took on the familiar role of second fiddle as De Villiers – batting for the first time in any international format since June due to the management of his international fixtures – stole the show with a stunning 176.

De Villiers played with eye-catching fluency, smashing 15 fours and seven sixes en route to beating his previous best of 162, as South Africa posted 353-6 – a record score for a team in Paarl.

Imrul Kayes (68) and Mushfiqur Rahim (60) scored well in Bangladesh's 249 all out, but South Africa – for whom Andile Phehlukwayo finished with career-best figures of 4-40 – edged ahead of India in the ICC ODI rankings, although that battle promises to wage on with Virat Kohli's men facing a series against New Zealand.

Amla and De Kock (46) started well to help the host to 90-0 but, after conceding 372 runs in 60.2 overs in the series, Bangladesh finally had a wicket when De Kock left one from Shakib Al Hasan that trapped him lbw.

Faf du Plessis (0) went in the same over to offer brief hope that the tide was turning, but De Villiers had other ideas.

He reached his half-century off 34 balls, including a brilliant sweep to the midwicket boundary that brought up a 50 partnership with Amla.

Another stunning slog sweep off Nasir Hossain cleared the ground over the deep midwicket boundary, and not even the loss of reliable deputy Amla – who nicked behind off Rubel Hossain (4-62) – slowed him down.

It took another 34 balls to reach his 25th ODI century, but the next 76 came off just 36 – including a pair of huge back-to-back sixes off Mashrafe Mortaza – shortly after JP Duminy was put down on 18.

De Villiers eventually holed out to deep midwicket off Rubel Hossain, but the damage had been done.

Kayes and Mushfiqur made a decent fight with a fruitful 93-run third-wicket stand after Tamim Iqbal (23) and Liton Das (14) had already been accounted for.

But Kayes got a leading edge off Imran Tahir that De Villiers caught at extra cover, before the same man quickly accounted for danger man Shakib (5).

Mushfiqur then sliced one to point and, although Mahmudullah made 35, Bangladesh's tail was quickly cleaned up.

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