List of international cricket centuries by AB de Villiers

A cricketer in a green top, wearing a baseball cap
AB de Villiers has scored 47 centuries in international cricket

AB de Villiers is a former South African cricketer who captained the national team between 2012 and 2017.[1] A right-handed batsman, he scored 47 centuries (100 or more runs in a single innings)—22 in Tests and 25 in ODIs—over his playing career. He reached the top of the ICC Test batting rankings in March 2012.[2]

De Villiers made his Test debut in December 2004 against England, scoring 28 and 15.[3] He made his first Test century the following month, scoring 109 in the drawn fifth Test at Centurion.[4] His first double-century came in April 2008 against India when he scored 217 not out in a man-of-the-match performance in Ahmedabad.[5] He has scored 22 Test centuries and holds the record for the second-highest individual score by a South African batsman, with 278 not out against Pakistan.[a][7][8] De Villiers has the fourth-highest number of centuries in Tests for South Africa.[9]

De Villiers' made his ODI debut in February 2005 against England; he scored 20 in the tied match.[10] His first century in the format came two years later in a man-of-the-match performance when he scored 146 against the West Indies at Grenada during the 2007 Cricket World Cup.[11] He holds the record for the fastest half-century (off 16 balls) and century (off 31 balls) in ODIs.[12][13] Both were achieved during the course of his 149 (off 44 balls) against West Indies in January 2015.[1][14] He hit 16 sixes in the match and leveled the then record of most sixes by a batsman (held by India's Rohit Sharma) in an innings.[15] As of May 2024, he has the joint seventh-highest number (25) of centuries in ODIs.[b]

Between 2006 and 2017, de Villiers played 78 Twenty20 International matches.[17] His highest score of 79 not out was made in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 match against Scotland which South Africa won by 130-runs.[18][19] As of May 2024, de Villiers ranks joint-twelfth (with 47 centuries) in the all-time list for most centuries in international cricket.[20]

  1. ^ a b "AB de Villiers". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  2. ^ "Reliance ICC Test Championship Batting Rankings – AB de Villiers". International Cricket Council. Archived from the original on 26 January 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  3. ^ "England tour of South Africa, 2004/05 – Basil D'Oliveira Trophy – 1st Test". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference firsttest100 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference double was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Records / South Africa / Test matches / High scores". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 22 November 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  7. ^ "AB de Villiers retires: From snail-like Test innings at Adelaide to fastest ODI century in Jo'burg, relive Mr 360's top five knocks". Firstpost. 23 May 2018.
  8. ^ "AB de Villiers puts South Africa in driving seat with record 278". guardian.co.uk. 21 November 2010. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  9. ^ "Records / South Africa / Test matches / Most hundreds". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 22 November 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  10. ^ "England tour of South Africa, 2004/05 – 2nd ODI". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 23 August 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference firstodi100 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Records / One-Day Internationals / Batting records / Fastest hundreds". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  13. ^ Agence France-Presse (AFP) (18 January 2015). "De Villiers shatters record and West Indies in second ODI". Dawn. Herald. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  14. ^ "South Africa vs West Indies 2nd ODI 2015". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  15. ^ Moonda, Firdose (18 January 2015). "De Villiers sets breathtaking new century record". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  16. ^ "Records / One-Day Internationals / Batting records / Most hundreds in a career". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Statistics / Statsguru / AB de Villiers / Twenty20 Internationals". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  18. ^ "ICC World Twenty20, 2009 – 5th match, group D". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  19. ^ "AB de Villiers stars for South Africa in thrashing of Scotland". Fox Sports. 8 June 2009. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  20. ^ "Records – Combined Test, ODI and T20I records – Batting records – Most hundreds in a career". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2013.


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