It isn’t easy for a cricketer to hammer a century if you are coming after the 30th over mark. Several external factors play a deterrent to this cause. Firstly there is a pressure of the overs running out and in order to attain your century, you have to hammer fast without spending much time in the crease.
Secondly, the situation in the middle of the innings also plays a pivotal role in impinging a batsman’s ability to hit. In case if the situation looks grim, one has to put a restraint on his hard-hitting in order to help his team achieve a defendable total.
However, like always, every single norm comes with exceptions, and this concept that it is hard to score a century if you are coming out to bat after the 180-ball mark was smashed out of the park in the following six instances. We will look at those greats of the game who made the century look like a cakewalk even with very few deliveries to clobber.
Abraham Benjamin De Villiers versus India, 2010
After opting to bat first, the Proteas clobbered the Indians for a good deal and were well in course to an emphatic 320 plus score when they lost their second wicket in the form of Hashim Amla who was dismissed for a well-played 87. It was the 33rd overrunning when ABD walked into the crease.
What happened thereafter was the infliction of brutal carnage upon the Indian bowlers as De Villiers clubbed an unbeaten 102 from 59 deliveries that comprised 11 boundaries and 3 sixes.
South Africa posted a mammoth total of 365 to which India was bundled out for a paltry 275. De Villiers walked out with the Man of the Match for his blistering tempest at the end of the innings.
Abraham Benjamin De Villiers versus West Indies, 2015
This match set a new precedent in cricketing history as ABD clobbered the fastest century in the history of international cricket. Hashim Amla and Riley Rossouw stitched a phenomenal stand at the beginning of the innings as the duo plundered 247 runs. Rossouw was the first one to depart as he caught by Benn in Taylor’s bowling.
This was just the beginning of West Indies’ end as walked into middle, South Africa’s premium batsman, ABD. He played a headstrong knock that saw him achieve his century in 31 deliveries. His brutal knock ended at 149 from 44 balls when he holed out to Carter.
In response to South Africa’s mammoth total of 439, West Indies could only manage 291 for the loss of 7 wickets.
Glenn Maxwell versus Sri Lanka, 2015
Maxwell is one of the hardest-hitting batsmen in the ranks of Australia and he validated his belligerence when he took Sri Lanka for a ride in a group league match in the 2015 World Cup.
Australia was wobbling at 175 for 3 when Maxwell took the crease at the beginning of the 33rd over. To make matters worse for the Aussies, Steven Smith was dismissed shortly, thereby widening the chasm of uncertainty. However, it was Maxwell who steered the Australians out of the deep waters with some monumental pyrotechnics of his own.
He scored 102 from only 53 deliveries that saw him clobbering 10 boundaries and 4 over boundaries. Australia managed to post 376 for 9 as that was more than enough for Sri Lanka to be kept at bay.
Despite a strong fight from Sangakkara, all that the islanders could manage was 312, and Maxwell was adjudged as the man of the match.
Jos Butler versus Pakistan, 2015
Butler is currently one of England’s finest hard-hitters and he features in this list for his dominating showdown against Pakistan in an ODI in 2015. With England’s chariot coming to a halt after Jason Roy was dismissed, it was Butler who ignited a firestorm to snuff out Pakistan.
Bludgeoning the bowlers in a bloodbath, he managed to smash an unbeaten 116 from 52 deliveries which saw 10 boundaries and 8 sixes, catapulting England to 355 for 5.
Though Pakistan was off to a strong start through Azhar Ali, the resistance was short-lived as the English bowlers shortly climbed all over them and left them punchdrunk.
Moeen Ali versus West Indies, 2017
West Indies had England smothered against the wall when Moeen Ali came out to bat in the 33rd over. Jos Butler’s dismissal paved the way for what would be an absolutely incredible century from the English southpaw.
He smashed 102 from 57 deliveries throwing the West Indian bowlers into total disarray, as England posted a monumental total of 369 or 9.
West Indies couldn’t really challenge the English bowlers in any aspect at all and were shortly overran by their might as they were limited to 245.
Jos Butler versus Pakistan, 2019
Featuring for the second time in this list against the same opposition, Butler peppered the Pakistani bowlers all around the park in an unprecedented onslaught. Coming out to bat in the 33rd over, Butler didn’t wait and started with his batting heroics straight away.
Staying unbeaten till the end, Butler clubbed 110 runs from 55 deliveries that featured 6 boundaries and 9 over boundaries.
Pakistan staged a wonderful retaliation as they fought it right until the end to fall short by 12 runs on
