De Villiers, 42, Turns Back the Clock With 37-Ball Century in WCL Rout

AB de Villiers produced another reminder of his genius on Friday, hammering an unbeaten 111 off 40 balls as South Africa Champions crushed Australia Champions by eight wickets in the World Championship of Legends at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Australia Champions, who chose to bat first, had posted a daunting 209 for five in their 20 overs, built on D'Arcy Short's rapid 66 from 25 balls and captain David Warner's 48 off 37. The chase wobbled early when Faf du Plessis fell cheaply, but Richard Levi steadied the innings with 62 off 29 balls before the 42-year-old took over. De Villiers reached his hundred in just 37 deliveries, an onslaught featuring six fours and eleven towering sixes at a strike rate of 277.50, before JP Duminy joined him to see the chase home in 15.4 overs with 26 balls to spare. Named player of the match, the former Proteas captain is now the tournament's leading run-scorer with 181 runs in two innings, following his 70 off 39 balls in South Africa's 97-run win over West Indies Champions on October 4. The victory keeps the defending champions unbeaten and top of the table in the third edition of the WCL, which runs in the UAE until October 18.