“The time just went by”: Richard Levi

Levi said enjoyment was the key to his breath-taking innings against New Zealand (strap)

Calcutta/Hamilton (The Telegraph): The boundaries at Seddon Park, in Hamilton, are not really big, but that’s not exactly the reason why South African Richard Levi blasted a record 13 sixes in his T20 innings, against New Zealand, on Sunday.

The powerfully-built Levi cleared the boundaries by quite a distance.

In the process, Levi, who only made his debut on Friday in Wellington, also brought up the fastest International T20 century — off 45 balls — as he scored 117 not out to help the Proteas chase down New Zealand’s 173 for four with four overs to spare and eight wickets in hand.

“It was good fun… Every shot we seemed to play came off and AB kept me calm,” Levi said after the match. “The leg side boundary was quite short, so I targeted that. I have no idea about the records, the time just went by!”

“In the first game I was a little bit too nervous and the bowling didn’t quite go my way… Tonight (Sunday night) was one of those nights when everything came into place and came off,” Levi explained.

According to the 24-year-old, enjoyment was the key to his breath-taking innings. “I got out of my pressure situation quite early on and just enjoyed it from there,” he said.

But it must have hard work to hit so many sixes? Not really, felt Levi. He felt that he’d hardly raised a sweat during his demolition job. “It feels like I’ve had six overs out there — it feels like I should still be going on.”

He also shrugged off a verbal attack from New Zealand’s Tim Southee as easily as he despatched New Zealand’s bowling.

“He (Southee) said some things, but that’s part of the game and you kind of expect it. I didn’t expect it from one or two, I expected it from the whole side. If you can’t handle it you’ve got to let it go and learn a way to handle it.”

Levi pummelled 16 off Doug Bracewell’s opening over, the second of the innings, and the visitors were in the driving seat from there.

West Indies opener Chris Gayle had held the previous record for sixes in a T20 International with 10, while Gayle and Brendon McCullum had shared the record for fastest century.

Both had achieved the mark in 50 balls.

After the victory, AB de Villiers, the South Africa captain, said: “I was trying to tell Richard to get off strike once we were at 10 an over, but he just kept sending them flying. He has done this before so it’s not a one-off.”