AB de Villiers makes a great impression on his T20 Blast debut
What's the story?
AB de Villiers made his T20 blast debut for Middlesex against Essex on 18th July 2019. The South African superstar made a great first impression in the South group encounter held at the iconic Lord's stadium.
In case you didn't know
After announcing his retirement from international cricket, AB de Villiers has taken part in various T20 leagues all around the world. The fans of the South African might have missed him as he did not play in the 2019 World Cup, but he is ready to entertain his fans in the T20 Blast in England.
Heart of the matter
Chasing a decent score of 165 against Essex, Middlesex got off to a wobbly start as they lost two wickets inside the powerplay. AB de Villiers came in at No.4 to join Middlesex captain, Dawid Malan at the crease.
The South African batsman looked in brilliant touch as he played an unbeaten knock of 88 runs off just 43 balls. De Villiers entertained the crowd with some incredible hitting in an innings which included five fours and six sixes. He stitched a brilliant 105-run partnership with Malan to steer his team to a great position.
While the skipper was dismissed, AB made sure he took his team home. With the South African at the crease, Middlesex cruised to victory by seven wickets and with three overs to spare.
Earlier in the day, Essex got off to a horrible start after being asked to bat first. However, Ryan Ten Doeschate used all his experience to help his team post a competitive score on the board. The all-rounder scored 74 runs off 46 balls in an innings which included six fours and three sixes.
What's next?
The good form of AB de Villiers is a great sign for Middlesex as he can single-handedly grab games by the scruff of the neck and tilt it in his side's direction.
The Lord's based outfit's next match is against Surrey on the 23rd of July at The Oval.