Corey Anderson hails AB de Villiers after world record innings

AB de Villiers struck the fastest ever ODI hundred at Johannesburg yesterday

New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson has congratulated AB de Villiers for his world record innings of 149 off 44 balls against West Indies at Johannesburg in the 2nd One-Day International (ODI) on Sunday, during the course of which he broke the record for both the fastest fifty and fastest hundred in ODI cricket.

De Villiers’ hundred came off a mere 31 balls, surpassing Corey Anderson’s record for the fastest hundred by no less than 5 balls in the process. The 24-year-old left-hander had smashed a hundred from 36 balls as recently as last year, also against the West Indies, at Queenstown.

“Records are there to be broken and congratulations to AB, it was obviously a hell of an innings,” said Anderson, on the eve of New Zealand’s 4th ODI against Sri Lanka in Nelson.

De Villiers’ innings, which was laced with 9 boundaries and 16 sixes, helped South Africa post a colossal 439 for 2 from their 50 overs, which is the 2nd highest score in the history of ODI cricket and the highest against a Test playing nation.

“To get 149 off 44 is probably even more special,” he added. “You’re in the zone, I guess, and you feel like every ball’s probably going to go to the boundary, and when you mis-hit it, it sort of misses a fielder and it tends to go for four. It’s one of those days where it all comes off.”

Breaking de Villiers’ record not impossible: Anderson

Even though Anderson acknowledged the South African skipper’s innings as truly remarkable, the former felt that the new world record wasn’t unsurpassable given the nature of contemporary limited-overs cricket.

“Never say never. Thirty-one balls is very quick, so I’m not too sure. We’ve got the World Cup coming up around the corner, so it could be a good chance for someone else to take it down,” he concluded.