AB de Villiers led from the front as his unbeaten century led South Africa Champions to a 9-wicket win with 19 balls to spare chasing 196 for the win. AB de Villiers looked like a man possessed after missing out in the semi-final clash against Australia. Pakistan posted 195/5 after opting to bat first with Sharjeel Khan scoring 76 off 44 balls and others playing around him.
In the chase of 196, we saw the AB de Villiers masterclass as his unbeaten 120 off 60 balls took his side to victory in the 17th over. He had Hashim Amla by his side initially who made 18 off 14 balls and then had JP Duminy for company who made an unbeaten 50 off 28 balls and hit the winning runs as the Proteas got over the line to spark celebrations in the camp.
Sharjeel Khan’s 76 propels Pakistan to 195/5
Sharjeel Khan and Kamran Akmal walked out to bat for Pakistan after they elected to bat first. Sharjeel made his intentions clear as he hit a boundary off Hardus Viljoen in the first over itself. Wayne Parnell was introduced from the other end and he was also hit for a boundary by the southpaw. Viljoen eventually struck first blood for South Africa getting rid of Kamran Akmal for 2 off 5 balls.
Viljoen bowled it from slightly wider of the crease and pitched it at the fourth stump where Akmal went for an off-drive. There was a gap between bat and pad as the ball nipped back and hit the stumps. Mohammad Hafeez the captain came out to bat next and hit a couple of boundaries off Viljoen before Sharjeel hit him for another boundary.
Imran Tahir was introduced into the attack and Sharjeel took the attack to the veteran hitting him for a maximum and a boundary in the over. Duanne Olivier was welcomed with a boundary off the captain Hafeez’s bat and Hafeez followed that up with another boundary to bring up the 50 for Pakistan inside 5 overs. Wayne Parnell though struck and broke the budding partnership as Hafeez fell for 17 off 10 balls with 4 boundaries to his name.
Parnell bowled fuller than good length angling outside off. Hafeez reached out and went for a lofted cover drive. He failed to get the required elevation to sail over. Duanne Olivier moved to his right from deep cover and took the catch. Shoaib Malik came to the crease next and got off the mark soon. Sharjeel was in no mood to relent as he hit consecutive boundaries off Parnell to close out the powerplay. Pakistan were 63/2 at the end of the powerplay.
Aaron Phangiso came into the attack post the powerplay and bowled a decent over. Sharjeel broke the shackles as hit Olivier for a boundary before getting a reprieve next ball as Viljoen dropped a sitter at short third man off Olivier. Sharjeel was ready to make South Africa pay for the missed chance as he launched Phangiso over deep midwicket for the maximum. Soon, the southpaw brought up his half-century in 29 balls as Pakistan reached 89/2 after 10 overs at the halfway stage of the first innings.
Phangiso bowled a decent first over post the Break while Sharjeel hit the ball so hard that it hit Malik at the bowler’s end and he needed medical treatment. The 100 came up for Pakistan Champions after 12 overs. Sharjeel decided to take on the bowling as Phangiso was taken to the cleaners getting hit for a maximum followed by consecutive boundaries. Sharjeel rounded that over off with another maximum as 22 runs came off Phangiso’s final over.
Hardus Viljoen came back into the attack and picked up the big fish Sharjeel Khan for 76 off 44 balls laced with 9 fours and 4 sixes to his name. Viljoen bowled a low full toss on middle dipping down before it reached the batter. Sharjeel looked to heave across missed it and got hit on the back pads. It looked pretty adjacent and the umpire gave it. Umar Amin walked out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway with a boundary.
Wayne Parnell then ended Shoaib Malik’s struggle at the crease as he fell for 20 off 25 balls. Parnell delivered a 24-yard ball and kept it too full outside off, Malik tried to get underneath it and hit it off the toe end of the bat. The ball flies high and into the hands of long-off where Sarel Erwee took the easy catch. Asif Ali came out to bat next and got off the mark as Pakistan after 15 overs were 134/4.
Umar Amin shifted gears as he hit Imran Tahir for a boundary and he followed that up with another boundary and a maximum later on in the over as Tahir finished wicketless in his spell. Amin survived a run out chance in the next over even as Olivier kept things relatively tight in the middle. Amin broke the shackles as he hit Wayne Parnell for two sixes in three balls to end the 18th over.
Asif Ali joined in the fun as well as he smashed Viljoen for a maximum and followed that up with a boundary as Pakistan reached 183/4 in 19 overs. Asif Ali smashed a maximum off the first ball of the 20th over bowled by Duanne Olivier over deep square leg. But Olivier pegged things back getting rid of Asif for 28 off 15 balls with a boundary and 2 sixes to his name.
Olivier bowled a full toss at the off-stump. Asif got underneath it and rode the bounce but miscued it. He tried to slog it away but found Imran Tahir at cow corner who made no mistake. Aamer Yamin came out to bat next with 2 balls left and got a brace and a dot ball to end the over and innings. Amin’s 36* off 19 balls was laced with 3 fours and 3 sixes as Pakistan Champions finished with a healthy 195/5 in 20 overs. 14 extras given by South Africa Champions.
For South Africa, Wayne Parnell picked up 2/32 in 4 overs while Hardus Viljoen picked up 2/38 in 4 overs. Duanne Olivier picked up 1/38 in 4 overs. Aaron Phangiso’s 4 overs went for 39 runs while Imran Tahir’s 4 overs went for 41 runs and both remained wicketless. This meant that South Africa Champions needed 196 runs to win the trophy.
AB de Villiers masterclass seals maiden WCL Crown for South Africa.Â
Hashim Amla and captain AB de Villiers walked out to bat in the chase. AB came in as an Impact Player in place of Imran Tahir while Wahab Riaz came in for Sharjeel Khan as an Impact Player. Amla made his intentions clear by hitting Rumman Raees for a boundary while AB played 3 dot balls to play himself in. AB de Villiers was not going to remain quiet for long as took Imad Wasim to the cleaners hitting him for consecutive sixes and followed that up with a boundary to take 21 runs in the over.
AB was dealing in fours and sixes as he hit Raees for a boundary and ended the over with another maximum over midwicket. Sohail Tanvir was introduced into the attack and Amla greeted him with a boundary before AB took over once again hitting him for consecutive boundaries. The 50 was up inside 4 overs for South Africa. Wahab Riaz came into the attack and after bowling decent balls, bowled a no ball in which a free hit followed and AB took advantage of it by smashing him for a boundary.
Saeed Ajmal came onto bowl the final over of the powerplay and he broke the opening stand at the stroke of end of powerplay as he dismissed Hashim Amla for 18 off 14 balls with 2 boundaries to his name. Ajmal bowled it short and outside off, Amla backed away and looked to cut it away but hit it uppishly towards short third man fielder where Rumman Raees took a good low catch. JP Duminy came out to bat next as South Africa were 72/1 after the powerplay.
AB got to his half-century in style as launched the maximum over deep midwicket to complete it in 24 balls. AB then survived a close call off Wahab as Asif Ali at sweeper cover dived to take the catch. But luckily, the ball landed in front of the fielder as AB survived a big scare. Ajmal bowled a decent over, but South Africa had things under control.
AB de Villiers was back in his elements of hitting biggies as he hit a boundary and followed that up with a maximum as the 100 came up in 8.5 overs. He finished the over with a boundary as well. Mohammad Hafeez came into the attack and should have hot AB de Villiers out but Saeed Ajmal at third man dropped a sitter as the ball went away for a boundary. AB added insult to injury by hitting the following ball for a boundary as well as AB was riding his luck.
At the end of 10 overs, South Africa were 117/1 with Drinks being taken and they needed a further 79 runs off 60 balls. AB de Villiers continued his assault after the break hitting a maximum off Imad Wasim before he hit another maximum in the same over as the chase was becoming a formality now. JP Duminy joined in the party as he hit Ajmal for a boundary.
The moment of reckoning came soon after as AB de Villiers completed his third ton of WCL 2025 by hitting a boundary off Saeed Ajmal through square leg as he achieved the milestone in 47 balls as 12 overs were completed in the chase. Aamer Yamin was introduced into the attack and was greeted by a boundary from JP Duminy as he joined in the fun. Duminy was not done yet as he meant business by launching a maximum over the bowler’s head.
Saeed Ajmal was not spared either as Duminy hit him for another boundary over covers. Rumman Raees bowled quiet 15th over as South Africa reached 172/1 in 15 overs needing a further 24 runs off 30 balls. AB de Villiers hit a masterful boundary through deep midwicket and long-on. He hit another boundary off Riaz over the bowler’s head as South Africa were within touching distance of winning this one.
Duminy hit a boundary off Raees through deep square leg and then came the double celebration for Duminy and South Africa. Duminy launched a maximum over long-off for the maximum as the southpaw got to his fifty off 28 balls and South Africa got over the line in 16.5 overs to spark wild celebrations in the dressing room. AB’s 120* off 60 balls was laced with 12 fours and 7 sixes to his name while Duminy’s 50* off 28 balls had 4 fours and 2 sixes to his name. 9 extras conceded by Pakistan as the chase was done and dusted in 16.5 overs.
For Pakistan, only Saeed Ajmal picked up a wicket and finished with 1/32 in 4 overs, a decent outing for him. The rest went wicketless and went for plenty of runs. So, South Africa Champions win the second edition of World Championships Legends by 9 wickets. For his brilliant masterclass, AB de Villiers was awarded the Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament alongside being the Master Blaster of the Match, Most Valuable Player of the Match and Tournament. It was ABD’s day indeed.
With that, the WCL Season 2 comes to an end. It was an exciting tournament for 3 weeks in England and more action from it will come from next season. A lot to look forward to for all of us as cricketing actions continue all over the world.
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