AB de Villiers: South Africa century-maker celebrates hundredth cap
We look back at some of De Villiers' greatest hundreds...
Thursday 19 November 2015 12:50, UK
To celebrate AB de Villiers reaching 100 Test appearances, we look back at his best centuries for South Africa...
THE FIRST
(109 v England, January 2005, Centurion)
De Villiers was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing series for South Africa, defeated by England in a home Test series for the first time in 40 years. He made his debut alongside a certain Dale Steyn in this first Test in Port Elizabeth, opening the batting.
He was shifted down the order and donned the wicketkeeping gloves during the series, before dropping them and moving back up for the final Test in Centurion. There he hit a debut Test ton - after falling just short on 92 in the first innings - against England's much-vaunted 2005 Ashes pace attack of Hoggard, Harmison, Flintoff and Jones. With rain washing out the first day's play of the Test, it sadly wasn't enough to see his side to a series-tying win, but it announced his arrival on the world stage.
THE LATEST
(148 v West Indies, January 2015, Cape Town)
The West Indies don't like De Villiers. Six of his 21 Test tons have come against them, and this, the second of two in the three-Test series last winter, preceded the fastest ever one-day international hundred which he would go on to hit against them two weeks later, only to then break his own record a month later at the World Cup. Guess who against?
De Villiers took a little longer to compile this hundred, but his 194-ball knock could hardly be deemed sluggish. Despite South Africa's recent success against their opposition it was an important innings too, coming to the crease with the hosts three wickets down and still trailing by 172 in the first innings, his hundred ultimately helping clinch a 2-0 series win.
THE QUICKEST
(129 v India, December 2010, Centurion)
About as emphatic an innings as you can get - De Villiers smashed 129 from only 112 balls with 12 fours and five sixes. He arrived in the middle with South Africa 396-3 replacing Hashim Amla, who hit a hundred, and joining Jacques Kallis who had just reached his. All this after South Africa had skittled India for 136 in their first innings.
Not to be outdone, De Villiers tonked a 75-ball ton, the fastest century by a South African in Tests, putting on a staggering 224 runs for the fourth wicket with Kallis in just over 37 overs, helping the all-round great through to his first Test double-hundred.
THE GRITTIEST
(116 v Australia, February 2014, Port Elizabeth)
In stark contrast, De Villiers battled to his grittiest hundred against a Mitchell Johnson-inspired Australian side that had just hammered England 5-0 in the Ashes a mere month earlier. Johnson followed up that form with 12 wickets in a first Test hammering at Centurion, in which De Villiers more than stood up to the test with scores of 91 and 48.
His best knock though was his hundred in the second Test in Port Elizabeth where De Villiers dug in for 232 balls, helping his side recover from 200-5 to 423 all out in their first innings. It set the side on their way to a 231-run win which tied things up with one Test to play, and while Australia would win that one in Cape Town, De Villiers proved he could stand up to the fearsome Aussie attack, finishing second-highest run-scorer for the series with 341 across his six innings, at an average of 56.83.
THE HIGHEST
(278no v Pakistan, November 2010, Abu Dhabi)
We witnessed first-hand just how flat it can be in Abu Dhabi after the first Test of England's recent series against Pakistan. Not that the surface should undermine De Villiers' achievement in 2010 when he tallied South Africa's highest ever Test score at the time.
Hashim Amla's unbeaten 311 against England at The Oval in 2012 would knock him from that perch but it's still De Villiers' Test best, batting for 601 minutes and 418 balls while he amassed his 278 which contained 23 fours and six sixes.
THE BEST
(106no v Australia, December 2008, Perth)
As hard as it is to pick a best of the bunch, we've settled for this one, as it came against the old enemy, Australia. It arguably is his greatest too, with it still De Villiers' only fourth innings hundred to date, and coming as South Africa completed the second-highest successful run-chase in Tests - only their second Test win over Australia in over 10 years.
And South Africa didn't just win, they cruised to their 414-run target with six wickets in hand. Things could have played out differently though after Graeme Smith - who hit 108 of his own - and Amla fell within seven runs of each other, bringing De Villiers to the crease at 179-3 and a further 235 runs still needed to win. He notched his seventh Test ton and saw them over the line, setting South Africa on their way to a 2-1 series win, ending Australia's 16-year unbeaten run in home Test series.
Watch continued live coverage of the second Test between South Africa and India - De Villiers' hundredth - on Sky Sports 3.
