In the second game of the three-match series between Ireland and the West Indies at Castle Avenue in Dublin on Friday, May 23, young player Matthew Forde tied AB de Villiers’ record for the joint-fastest fifty, putting his name in the annals of ODI cricket history. Forde, who came in at number eight, led his team to 352/8 at the end of 50 overs by batting his way to a fifty off 16 balls.
The 23-year-old hit a dazzling knock that included two fours and eight maximums when he came in to bat in the 44th over of the game. On the penultimate ball of the 47th over of the visitors’ innings, the flurry of a hit came to an end. He was the seventh West Indies wicket to be taken.
Matthew Forde blazes into the record books 🤯
With a 16-ball fifty, he joins the company of a certain AB de Villiers for the joint-fastest ODI fifty #IREvWI pic.twitter.com/q7iw8YmMXm
— FanCode (@FanCode) May 23, 2025
Chris Gayle set the previous record for the quickest fifty by a West Indian in the 50-over format in 2019. The right-arm medium bowler is currently the fastest player in his country to reach an ODI century. Notably, Forde finished as his country’s second-leading run scorer in both of the ODIs of the series. In the first game, which the visitors lost by a score of 124 runs, he had scored 38 off 48 balls.
Speaking of the second game, Ireland’s chase was halted by the rain. Eventually, the second ODI washed out. As the series enters its third and final game, Ireland still has a 1-0 lead to defend. Compared to the first game of the series, the Men in Maroon performed far better at bat. With his second ODI century, Keacy Carty led the Caribbeans in scoring.
Notably, no one has been able to beat de Villiers’ record, which has stood strong for more than ten years. He accomplished the mark when he hit an incredible 149 off of just 44 deliveries against the Windies. The innings occurred on January 18, 2015, at Johannesburg during the second ODI of the series. One of the most entertaining knocks in One-Dayers history is this incredible one from the former South African cricket player.
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