Matthew Forde equals AB de Villiers' record for fastest ODI half-century

West Indies cricketer Matthew Forde equalled AB de Villiers ' world record for the fastest half-century in ODIs, reaching 50 runs in just 16 balls during the second ODI against Ireland at Castle Avenue in Dublin on Friday. Forde , batting at number 8, finished with 58 runs off 19 balls, helping West Indies post a total of 352 for 8.

De Villiers had set the original record against West Indies in Johannesburg on January 18, 2015, where he went on to score 149 runs from 44 balls. Forde's explosive innings included two fours and eight sixes, demonstrating remarkable power hitting.

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A whirlwind and jaw-dropping exhibition of power hitting from @matao_05 💥💥🏏

A joint record for the fastest 50 in ODI cricket.#IREvWI | #MenInMaroon pic.twitter.com/fq5GXrTlVI

— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) May 23, 2025

The 23-year-old West Indian formed a crucial seventh-wicket partnership with Justin Greaves, adding 68 runs in just 25 balls. Greaves contributed 44 runs from 36 balls to the partnership.

This achievement puts Forde in elite company among ODI cricket's fastest half-century scorers. Following de Villiers and Forde's joint record of 16 balls, Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya, Kusal Perera, New Zealand's Martin Guptill, and England's Liam Livingstone share the next fastest record of 17 balls.

Fastest ODI fifty (by balls)

• 16 balls - AB de Villiers (South Africa vs West Indies in 2015)
• 16 balls - Matthew Forde (West Indies vs Ireland in 2025)
• 17 balls - Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka vs Pakistan in 1996)
• 17 balls - Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka vs Pakistan in 2015)
• 17 balls - Martin Guptill (New Zealand vs Sri Lanka in 2015)
• 17 balls - Liam Livingstone (England vs Netherlands in 2022)