PAARL: A.B. de Villiers returned from his sabbatical with a blistering 176 off 104 balls to set up South Africa’s series-clinching 104-run win over Bangladesh in their second One-day International here at Boland Park on Wednesday.

De Villiers hit his career-best score in 50-over cricket in his first international innings in four months, taking South Africa to 353-6 after they were put in to bat by Bangladesh.

Bangladesh replied with 249 all out, with 21-year-old seamer Andile Phehlukwayo claiming 4-40.

South Africa lead the three-match series 2-0, and now have the luxury of resting some of their big names for the final game on Sunday. Bangladesh, on the other hand, are still searching for their first win over the Proteas on the tour, having also lost the two-Test series 2-0.

Imrul Kayes made 68 for Bangladesh at the top of the order and Mushfiqur Rahim hit 60, but it wasn’t enough as they chased South Africa’s big score.

That big total was mainly down to the improvisation and power-hitting of De Villiers, who arrived with South Africa on 90-2 and left just over two overs from the end with his team 343-4.

He was part of century stands with Hashim Amla (85) and J.P. Duminy (30), and was the driving force of both, making 86 of the 136 runs he put on with Amla and 90 of the 117 he put on with Duminy.

De Villiers’ last international was at the ICC Cham­pions Trophy in England in June. He skipped the Test series against Engl­and and Bangladesh to rest and spend time with his family.

The break appears to have been well-timed for the 33-year-old former South Africa captain. He collected 15 fours and seven sixes on his way to the fourth highest score by a South African in ODIs. He was out caught in the deep only 12 runs short of Gary Kirsten’s South African record of 188 not out.

De Villiers took only 68 balls to get to 100, and only 25 balls to go from 100 to 150, when he launched a flurry of sixes over square leg and midwicket.

Amla and Quinton de Kock (46) set South Africa up with a solid opening partnership of 90 but it was De Villiers’ acceleration in the middle and late overs that took the game beyond Bangladesh.

Rubel Hossain was Bangladesh’s best bowler with 4-62, including the wicket of De Villiers and two in two balls in the last over.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA:

H.M. Amla c Mushfiqur b Rubel 85

Q. de Kock lbw b Shakib 46

F. du Plessis b Shakib 0

A.B. de Villiers c Sabbir b Rubel 176

J.P. Duminy lbw b Rubel 30

F. Behardien not out 7

D. Pretorius c Imrul b Rubel 0

A.L. Phehlukwayo not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-7) 9

TOTAL (for six wkts, 50 overs) 353

FALL OF WKTS: 1-90, 2-90, 3-226, 4-343, 5-353, 6-353.

DID NOT BAT: K. Rabada, D. Paterson, Imran Tahir

BOWLING: Mashrafe Mortaza

10-0-82-0 (1w); Taskin Ahmed

9-0-71-0 (3w); Shakib Al Hasan

10-0-60-2 (1w); Nasir Hossain

8-0-49-0; Rubel Hossain 10-0-62-4 (1w); Sabbir Rahman 1-0-11-0; Mahmudullah 2-0-16-0 (1w).

BANGLADESH:

T. Iqbal lbw b Pretorius 23

I. Kayes c De Villiers b Imran 68

L. Das lbw b Phehlukwayo 14

M. Rahim c Duminy b Pretorius 60

S. Al Hasan c De Kock b Imran 5

Mahmudullah b Phehlukwayo 35

S. Rahman c Du Plessis b Imran 17

N. Hossain b Phehlukwayo 3

M. Mortaza lbw b Phehlukwayo 0

T. Ahmed not out 3

R. Hossain b Paterson 8

EXTRAS (LB-4, W-9) 13

TOTAL (all out, 47.5 overs) 249

FALL OF WKTS: 1-44, 2-69, 3-162, 4-171, 5-184, 6-219, 7-234, 8-234, 9-239.

BOWLING: Rabada 9-1-40-0 (2w); Paterson 8.5-0-67-1 (1w); Pretorius 10-0-48-2 (2w); Phehlukwayo

10-1-40-4 (3w); Imran Tahir 10-0-50-3 (1w).

RESULT: South Africa won by 104 runs to lead three-match series 2-0.

UMPIRES: A.T. Holdstock (South Africa) and R.S.A. Palliyaguruge (Sri Lanka).

TV UMPIRE: Aleem Dar (Pakistan).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: A.B. de Villiers.

THIRD MATCH: East London, Sunday.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2017