Published: Feb 21, 2016, 11:57 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 21, 2016, 11:57 PM (IST)
AB de Villiers smashed the fastest Twenty20 international (T20I) half century by a South African in the second T20I of South Africa vs England 2015-16 series. He bettered his own record of 23 ball-fifty which he had hit against the same opposition last year. In the second T20I played on Sunday he smashed his fifty off just 21 balls making it the fastest fifty by a South African cricketer in the shortest version of the game bettering his record by two balls. The record for the fastest half century in T20Is is held by Yuvraj Singh of India. He scored his fifty from just 12 balls in a ICC World T20 2016 match against South Africa. In that game, he hit Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over. LIVE CRICKET SCORECARD: South Africa vs England 2015-16, 2nd T20I at Johannesburg
Morne van Wyk is second in the list for the fastest fifties by a South African. In a 2011 T20I played against India at Durban, he scored his fifty off 24 deliveries making it the fastest by a South African at that time. Three years later, de Villiers broke his record and today he has bettered his own feat. After Yuvraj; Colin Munro of New Zealand is second on the list among batsmen with the fastest fifties in the shortest version of the game. Munro took just 14 balls to get to his fifty in a T20I played last month. Paul Stirling of Ireland made his fifty off 17 balls way back in 2012 against Afghanistan and is next in the list. He jointly holds the third spot along with Stephan Myburgh of Netherlands and Chris Gayle.
