Time with Delhi Daredevils in IPL helped us beat Windies: De Villiers
By ANIFriday, February 25, 2011
NEW DELHI - AB de Villiers, who made an unbeaten 107, used his Indian Premier League experience to good use, leading South Africa to a comfortable seven-wicket World Cup win over the West Indies.
The 27-year-old De Villiers said his time with Delhi Daredevils in the IPL had allowed him to share vital inside information with Smith on the playing conditions at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.
“My time here helped. I chatted to Graeme before the game and said that the outfield gets very damp at night here therefore it’s better to bat second. It’s really hard to defend a total on this outfield,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted him, as saying.
De Villiers hit the fastest ever World Cup century by a South African with his landmark coming off 97 balls.
“I wasn’t timing it in the nets last week, but it came off well tonight,” he said.
West Indies captain Darren Sammy was disappointed with his team’s batting after they had stood at 113-1 at one stage.
“We had an opportunity to get a lot more runs. We needed someone to play like AB did,” he said.
“Darren Bravo played really well and we hope he can continue. We kept losing wickets in clusters, which didn’t help. Losing Dwayne Bravo (with a knee injury) wasn’t good. We don’t know the extent of the injury. Hopefully he’ll be OK,” Sammy said. (ANI)
