De Villiers smashes fastest ODI half-century

Reuters
South Africa's Rilee Rossouw (R) plays a shot as West Indies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin looks on during the second One-Day International (ODI) at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg January 18, 2015. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Swashbuckling South African AB de Villiers struck the fastest half century in one-day international cricket on Sunday, taking 16 balls to pass the milestone against the West Indies at The Wanderers. After coming to the wicket following a massive 247-run opening stand between Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw, De Villiers compounded the tourist’ misery. He flashed three fours and five massive sixes to beat the previous record of 17 balls by Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya against Pakistan in 1996. South Africa lead the five-match series 1-0 after a 69-run win in the opening game in Durban on Friday.