Feb 19 (Reuters) – Opening batsman Richard Levi took
advantage of the small boundaries at Seddon Park to blast a
world record 13 sixes and guide South Africa to an eight wicket
win over New Zealand to level their Twenty20 series in Hamilton
on Sunday.
Levi, who only made his debut on Friday in Wellington, also
brought up the fastest international Twenty20 century off 45
balls as he scored 117 not out to help the visitors chase down
New Zealand’s 173 for four with four overs to spare.
The powerfully-built Levi was brutal to a wayward New
Zealand attack who bowled into his arc allowing him to smash the
ball across the ropes from mid-off around to deep backward
square-leg.
Captain AB de Villiers (39 not out) simply ticked the strike
over to the 24-year-old who wasted little time in bringing up
his century when he pushed the ball into the covers for a rare
single.
West Indies opener Chris Gayle had held the previous record
for sixes in a Twenty20 international with 10, while Gayle and
Brendon McCullum had shared the record for fastest century. Both
had achieved the mark in 50 balls.
Martin Guptill top-scored for New Zealand with 47 from 35
balls though the South Africans would be pleased to have stopped
him passing 50.
The 25-year-old Guptill had plundered the much weaker
Zimbabwean attack in the first series of New Zealand’s summer,
scoring 51 in the only test, 232 runs at 77.33 in the three
one-day internationals before he smashed 91 not out in his only
Twenty20 appearance.
He made 78 not out in the first Twenty20 against South
Africa in Wellington on Friday.
South African offspinner Johan Botha was the pick of the
visitors’ attack on Sunday as he mixed the speed, width and loop
on his deliveries to finish with one for 22 from four overs.
Continued…
