During the first encounter of the recently concluded five-match one-day series between India and Zimbabwe at Faridabad, Douglas Marillier scored the fastest fifty for Zimbabwe in ODI's off just 21 balls with the help of nine fours and one six.

Marillier's fifty was the fifth fastest in LOI's. He joins two other batsmen (New Zealand's Lance Cairns and India's Ajit Agarkar) who have also achieved it in 21 balls. The record of fastest half century in one day internationals is held by Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya who reached his fifty off 17 balls during his 76-run knock against Pakistan at Singapore on April 7,1996.

Marillier's fifty was also the quickest against India, bettering the 23 ball fifty by Pakistani Salim Malik during his unbeaten 72 at Calcutta on 18-2-1987.

Marillier also became the first batsman in ODI history to register a fifty while batting at number ten. The previous highest score was the 46 by Pakistani Abdul Razzaq against South Africa at Durban on 3-4-1998. The previous highest score by a Zimbabwean in this position was the unbeaten 19 by Eddo Brandes against Sri Lanka at Worcester on 22-5-1999. Interestingly, the previous highest score by a number 10 against India was also by a Zimbabwe batsman - 29 by Andy Whittall at Bulawayo on 26-9-1998.

For interest here are the details:

Fastest fifties in LOI's
Balls Batsman (score)     Fixture   Venue         Date
17    ST Jayasuriya (76)  SL v Pak  Singapore     07-04-1996
18    SP O'Donnell (74)   Aus v SL  Sharjah       02-05-1990
18    Shahid Afridi (102) Pak v SL  Nairobi (Gym) 04-10-1996
19    MV Boucher (51*)    SA v Ken  Cape Town     22-10-2001
21    BL Cairns (52)      NZ v Aus  Melbourne     13-02-1983
21    AB Agarkar (67*)    Ind v Zim Rajkot        14-12-2000
21    D Marillier (56*)   Zim v Ind Faridabad     07-03-2002
22    Kapil Dev (72)      Ind v WI  Berbice       29-03-1983
22    V Sehwag (55)       Ind v Ken Paarl         24-10-2001
23    Salim Malik (72*)   Pak v Ind Calcutta      18-02-1987
24    Shahid Afridi (73)  Pak v NZ  Sharjah       12-04-2001
25    Richards (82)       WI v Eng  Port-of-Spain 04-03-1986
25    RB Richardson (52*) WI v Eng  Kingstown     02-03-1994
25    ST Jayasuriya (68)  SL v Ind  Colombo (SSC) 23-08-1997

All data updated to 29.03.2002

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