AB de Villiers Runs by Year in Test
This article explore the year-by-year Test cricket career breakdown of AB de Villiers, highlighting his key statistical milestones, annual run tallies, and major performances.
AB de Villiers Test Runs Year-wise
| Year | Innings | Runs | High Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100s/50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 4 | 108 | 52* | 36.00 | 58.69 | 0/1 |
| 2005 | 19 | 1008 | 178 | 53.05 | 53.50 | 3/5 |
| 2006 | 21 | 570 | 97 | 27.14 | 51.58 | 0/4 |
| 2007 | 16 | 387 | 77 | 27.64 | 51.12 | 0/3 |
| 2008 | 22 | 1061 | 217* | 58.94 | 53.42 | 4/2 |
| 2009 | 11 | 572 | 163 | 57.20 | 53.40 | 2/4 |
| 2010 | 18 | 996 | 278* | 76.61 | 58.45 | 3/4 |
| 2011 | 8 | 377 | 99 | 47.12 | 51.85 | 0/4 |
| 2012 | 16 | 815 | 169 | 58.21 | 56.59 | 2/2 |
| 2013 | 13 | 933 | 164 | 77.75 | 58.42 | 4/5 |
| 2014 | 13 | 631 | 152 | 48.53 | 47.08 | 2/2 |
| 2015 | 10 | 492 | 148 | 49.20 | 50.87 | 1/2 |
| 2016 | 5 | 124 | 88 | 24.80 | 47.69 | 0/1 |
| 2017 | 1 | 53 | 53 | 53.00 | 81.53 | 0/1 |
| 2018 | 14 | 638 | 126* | 53.16 | 64.44 | 1/6 |
| Total | 191 | 8765 | 278* | 50.66 | 54.51 | 22/46 |
Key Insights on AB de Villiers Test Runs Year by Year
Early Career Debut and Initial Milestones (2004–2005)
AB de Villiers made his Test debut against England on December 17, 2004. His debut wasn’t memorable, as he got 28 and 14 in the two innings of the Gqeberha Test.
ABD, however, didn’t take too long to score his maiden Test century. In just his fifth Test, he brought up 109 against England in the third innings of the 2005 Centurion Test.
Before getting to the triple digits, ABD scored 92 in the first innings of the 2005 Centurion Test. This made him only the fourth South African batter to score a hundred and a ninety in the same Test.
De Villiers finished 2005 with 1008 runs across 19 innings, the most by a batter for South Africa in Tests that year. This was the sixth-highest run-tally by any batter in Tests in 2005.
His 2005 run-tally included three centuries, the second-most by a South African batter that year.
ABD completed his 1000 runs towards the fag end of 2005. He crossed the milestone off 20 innings, making him the third-fastest South African to 1000 Test runs.
Fastest to Every 1000 Test Runs
Mid-Career Slump and Resurgence (2006–2010)
ABD’s form slumped in 2006 and 2007, aggregating 957 runs across 37 innings without a single century. He averaged just 27.34 across these two years.
The right-hander, though, bounced back in 2008. He accumulated 1061 runs in 22 innings, the fourth-most for South Africa in 2008.
ABD averaged 58.94 in 2008, the sixth-highest by any batter in 2008 (minimum 500 balls faced).
His four centuries in 2008 were the joint-third most by any batter that year.
ABD also brought up the first of his two double centuries in 2008. He slammed an unbeaten 217 against India to secure a memorable win by an innings in the Ahmedabad Test.
This was the first instance of a South African batter smashing a Test double century in India.
ABD aggregated 1568 runs in 29 innings across 2009 and 2010 combined. He scored those runs at an average of 68.17, the highest for South Africa and the fourth-highest by any batter in this period (minimum 500 balls faced).
His highest score of an unbeaten 278 came against Pakistan in the 2010 Abu Dhabi Test.
Within a month, ABD slammed the joint-fastest Test century for South Africa, reaching the mark off 75 balls against India in the 2010 Centurion Test.
2010 was more remarkable for de Villiers as he smashed his highest Test score and the fastest Test ton by any Proteas batter.
Peak Years and Final Test Season (2011–2018)
De Villiers enjoyed a stellar run from 2011 to 2015. He scored 3248 runs across 60 outings, the most by a South African batter in this period. Hashim Amla was the only other South African with 3000-plus runs in this phase.
His nine centuries were only bettered by Amla (12) for South Africa in these five years.
ABD averaged 56.98 across these five years, the fifth-highest by any batter in Tests in this period (minimum 3000 balls faced).
Following this incredible run, ABD missed most of the Test action across 2016 and 2017 due to an elbow injury.
His average of 53.16 was the highest by a South African and the sixth-highest by any batter in 2018 (minimum 500 balls faced).
But the right-hander finished his career on a high, getting 638 runs in 14 innings in 2018.
Decade-wise Records: Most Test Runs in 2010s
