Levi, De Villiers power SA Champions to victory

Richard Levi and AB de Villiers struck half-centuries as South Africa Champions beat West Indies Champions by 97 runs in the World Championship of Legends.

Levi smashed 87 off 39 balls and De Villiers added 70 off 39 to lead South Africa to 242-5 in their 20 overs. Imran Tahir and Aaron Phangiso then claimed three wickets apiece as West Indies were dismissed for 145 in 18.2 overs.

Chris Gayle provided the main resistance with 60 off 31 balls, but the size of the target and regular wickets left his side well short.

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After Faf du Plessis fell for 14, Levi and De Villiers put on 104 for the second wicket to give South Africa control of the innings.

Levi dominated the partnership, hitting five fours and eight sixes in an innings played at a strike rate of 223.08. He reached his half-century off 27 balls before accelerating further, taking South Africa to 135 before Dave Mohammed had him caught by Lendl Simmons.

Mohammed also bowled Colin Ingram for seven, but De Villiers kept the runs flowing alongside Sarel Erwee. Their fourth-wicket stand added 62 before Erwee departed for 23 off 13 deliveries.

De Villiers struck four fours and five sixes before falling to Dwayne Bravo in the final over. Morne van Wyk finished unbeaten on 17, while West Indies conceded 24 extras, including 20 wides.

The chase struggled to gather momentum despite Gayle’s boundary hitting. Marchant de Lange caught Simmons off his own bowling for two, and Tahir removed Jermaine Blackwood for nine as West Indies reached 38-2.

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Phangiso bowled Chadwick Walton for one before claiming the key wicket of Gayle, trapped lbw after an innings featuring four fours and five sixes.

Tahir then bowled Raymon Reifer and Bravo in the same over, leaving West Indies 84-6 and facing a comprehensive defeat.

Carlos Brathwaite countered with 29 off 13 balls, including three sixes, but Robert Frylinck ended his resistance and later took the final wicket.

Tahir finished with 3-24 and Phangiso returned 3-49, while Frylinck contributed 2-22 to complete an emphatic South African performance.

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Photo: World Championship Of Legends/X

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