New Zealand vs South Africa: AB de Villiers eclipses another ODI record, leaves Sourav Ganguly behind

Wellington: AB de Villiers became the fastest batsman to reach 9,000 runs in one-day internationals when he made 85 for South Africa in the third ODI against New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday. [caption id=“attachment_3302176” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] AB de Villiers celebrates his fifty during the third ODI between New Zealand and South Africa in Wellington. AFP[/caption] He is the 18th player and second South African behind Jacques Kallis to reach the 9,000 run mark but has the highest average of 53.86 and best strike rate of 100. De Villiers reached the milestone in his 205th innings, 23 faster than the previous record held by former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly. The record for the most ODI runs is held by India’s Sachin Tendulkar with 18,426 at an average of 44.83 and a strike rate of 86.23. De Villiers, who now has 9,080 ODI runs, has the highest score of 162 not out against the West Indies that he set two years ago. He also holds the record of the fastest hundred in ODIs, having smashed one off 31 balls against West Indies in 2015. Controlled bowling by New Zealand took the gloss off a record-setting performance by de Villiers as South Africa were restricted to 271. De Villiers won the toss and was keen to bat first on a hard track under clear skies at Westpac Stadium. But apart from de Villiers, Quinton de Kock, who posted his fifth consecutive half century, 36 from Faf de Plessis and 35 from Wayne Parnell, no other South African batsman was able to seriously better a controlled New Zealand bowling effort.