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Cape Town - Dale Steyn has taken to Twitter to sportingly acknowledge compatriot AB de Villiers’s blistering late assault on his bowling in an Indian Premier League thriller in Bangalore on Sunday.
GALLERY: Past weekend's sporting pictures
De Villiers, combining crisp, orthodox stroke-play with some outrageous improvisation even against Steyn’s express pace for the Deccan Chargers, played a huge role in powering Royal Challengers Bangalore over the line at Chinnaswamy Stadium.
He took 23 runs off what turned out to be Proteas and former Titans team-mate Steyn’s third and last over, wrecking the latter’s hitherto commendable figures of 2-1-7-0 (including a maiden to Chris Gayle, of all people).
And as De Villiers finished on a whirlwind 47 not out off 17 balls in the five-wicket win, Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) tweeted: “Just wana congratulate @ABdeVilliers17 on that master battin display! I’d also like to say our friendship is nw hanging by a thread bud! Haha.”
Others in the Twitter world, who watched the amazing onslaught, joined in the praise.
“That has got to be some of the best I have seen from De Villiers – absolutely outstanding clean hitting, all around the park!” enthused former SA fast-medium bowler Steve Elworthy (@SteveElworthy).
Another Titans and Proteas stalwart active in the IPL, Albie Morkel (@AlbieMorkel), said simply: “Give that man a Bell’s! Take a bow @ABdeVilliers17.”
Former Proteas bowling coach Vincent Barnes (@VincentBarnes50) added: “@ABdeVilliers17 is the best batsman in the world at the moment.”
In a post-match press conference, De Villiers was quoted as saying: “Dale could have knocked me over with any of those balls, unfortunately for him I read it well, it was just my night.”
*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing
GALLERY: Past weekend's sporting pictures
De Villiers, combining crisp, orthodox stroke-play with some outrageous improvisation even against Steyn’s express pace for the Deccan Chargers, played a huge role in powering Royal Challengers Bangalore over the line at Chinnaswamy Stadium.
He took 23 runs off what turned out to be Proteas and former Titans team-mate Steyn’s third and last over, wrecking the latter’s hitherto commendable figures of 2-1-7-0 (including a maiden to Chris Gayle, of all people).
And as De Villiers finished on a whirlwind 47 not out off 17 balls in the five-wicket win, Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) tweeted: “Just wana congratulate @ABdeVilliers17 on that master battin display! I’d also like to say our friendship is nw hanging by a thread bud! Haha.”
Others in the Twitter world, who watched the amazing onslaught, joined in the praise.
“That has got to be some of the best I have seen from De Villiers – absolutely outstanding clean hitting, all around the park!” enthused former SA fast-medium bowler Steve Elworthy (@SteveElworthy).
Another Titans and Proteas stalwart active in the IPL, Albie Morkel (@AlbieMorkel), said simply: “Give that man a Bell’s! Take a bow @ABdeVilliers17.”
Former Proteas bowling coach Vincent Barnes (@VincentBarnes50) added: “@ABdeVilliers17 is the best batsman in the world at the moment.”
In a post-match press conference, De Villiers was quoted as saying: “Dale could have knocked me over with any of those balls, unfortunately for him I read it well, it was just my night.”
*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing
