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Hamilton: Richard Levi smashed the record for most no. of sixes en-route to the fastest century in Twenty20 international in the second Twenty20 international against New Zealand in Hamilton on Sunday. South Africa won by eight wickets with 4 overs to spare level T20 series in style.
Levi is greeted by bear hugs from his team mates at the dug out. He played a similar whirlwind innings in the practice game ahead of the first T20I and has now shown that he can do it at international level too. Levi smashed a record breaking 13 sixes in his innings. The previous best was ten sixes by Chris Gayle. The ton off 45 balls is also the quickest in T20Is. He also equalled the highest score in T20Is of gayle but Gayle was out when.
Richard Levi is the Man of the match for his superb innings of 117. Levi brought up his half-century off 25 balls with only one single on the off side. Most of his sixes were sent down the ground or over the leg-side boundary. His next fifty runs came even quicker as Levi almost singlehandedly kept South Africa in the series, leveling it 1-1 with one to play in Auckland.
Earlier, New Zealand set South Africa a solid but achievable target of 174.
Opener Martin Guptill top scored with 47, just missing out on his seventh successive international half century, as New Zealand ended their innings at four for 173, never managing to dominate despite a batting-friendly pitch.
South Africa's attack produced a much-improved display from the Proteas' six-wicket loss in the first match in Wellington, with spinner Johan Botha taking one wicket and conceding 22 in an economical four over spell.
Bolstered with extra pace after bringing in Wayne Parnell and debutant Marchant de Lange, South Africa opted to bowl first after winning the toss.
New Zealand, cheered on by a sellout Seddon Park crowd, made a solid start to the innings, opener Rob Nicol dominating the strike with a quick-fire 23 from 17 balls.
New Zealand still looked comfortable and were 79 for one at the half-way mark before de Lange coaxed a top edge from dangerman Guptill in the 12th over, which looped through to Albie Morkel in the outfield.
The dismissal lifted the South Africans and they had New Zealand struggling for boundaries until Brendon McCullum decided to lift the pace with a six off Morne Morkel.
Brief scores
New Zealand 173 for 4 (Guptill 47, BB McCullum 35)
South Africa 161 for 2 (Levi 117*, de Villiers 39*)
Result South Africa won by 8 wickets
MOM Richard Levi (South Africa)
