South Africa v West Indies 2014, 2nd Test: Dale Steyn smashes fourth-fastest Test fifty of all-time

Dale Steyn batting against West Indies

South African fast bowler Dale Steyn registered the fourth-fastest Test half-century of all-time, scoring a 26-ball 50 against West Indies in the second match of the three-match Test series, at St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth.

It is also the second fastest fifty by a South African in the history of Test cricket and the fastest ever against West Indies in the longer format of the game.

Having won the first Test match, at Centurion, quite comfortably, the home team were in a spot of bother after being put into bat first, with the scoreboard reading 348-7, when Steyn decided to turn the game on its head with his bat.

With the likes of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers dismissed cheaply, Steyn, coming in No. 9, refused to follow suit and, instead, launched a stunning attack on the opposition bowlers, hitting them to all parts of the ground, before holing out at long on off the bowling of left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn.

The 31-year-old was dismissed for 58, with the score at 417/8, and captain Amla was quick to signal for a declaration. The 28-ball knock consisted of 5 sixes and 6 fours.

Earlier in the match, following the early departure of opener Alviro Petersen, Dean Elgar (121 off 239) and Faf du Plessis (103 off 230) combined to score 179 runs for the second wicket to take their team to 225/2, before the Windies pacers triggered a mini-collapse to bring their team back into the game.

Here is the list of the fastest fifties in Test cricket:

Player	For	Against	Balls
Misbah-ul-Haq	Pakistan	Australia	21
Jacques Kallis	South Africa	Zimbabwe	24
Shane Shillingford	West Indies	New Zealand	25
Shahid Afridi	Pakistan	India	26
Mohammad Ashraful	Bangladesh	India	26
Dale Steyn	South Africa	West Indies	26
Yousuf Youhana	Pakistan	South Africa	27
Fofie Williams	West Indies	England	28
Ian Botham	England	India	28
Chris Gayle	West Indies	New Zealand	28
Bruce Yardley	Australia	West Indies	29
Tim Southee	New Zealand	England	29

Note: Stats updated till December 28, 2014