Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw star as South Africa thrash West Indies
Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw scored centuries in a mammoth third-wicket stand as South Africa wrapped up their one-day series against West Indies with a convincing 131-run win at Centurion.
Amla made 133 and Rossouw 132, with the pair combining to put on 247 for the third wicket, a record for South Africa in one-day internationals.
Despite only having 42 overs after a rain delay, South Africa made 361 for five, a target which proved way out of reach for West Indies, who made 230 all out; the tone of their innings set when Chris Gayle went first ball.
They plodded on, but when Wayne Parnell took four wickets in two overs they were blown apart. Consequently, South Africa take the series 4-1 and head to the World Cup in good heart.
After a rain delay that cost a little over two hours of play and eight overs a side, West Indies won the toss and put South Africa into bat, hoping for some difficult batting conditions early on.
It appeared they had got their wish as they picked up early wickets thanks to some extra bounce.
Quinton de Kock went in only the second over, caught at point off Jason Holder for only four, and South Africa were at 59 for two when Faf du Plessis went to another short ball, caught by Sheldon Cottrell at deep fine leg off Andre Russell.
But that brought Rossouw and Amla together, and they punished the West Indies attack repeatedly with some huge shots.
Rossouw’s 132 – his second international century after his 128 in Johannesburg 10 days ago – included eight sixes and came off just 98 balls while Amla had six in his 133, which came off 105 balls.
The partnership was finally ended in the 39th over as Rossouw pulled a short ball to deep midwicket where Jonathan Carter snared the catch to give Russell a second wicket.
Two overs later, Russell got Amla too when the opener dragged the ball on to his stumps.
David Miller made a quick 23 off 16 balls – including two sixes – before edging Holder behind while JP Duminy contributed an unbeaten 18 and Farhaan Behardien five before the 42 overs were up.
Faced with a huge target, West Indies were going to need a big hand from Gayle – but instead saw their hopes effectively ended when he was out to the opening delivery from Kyle Abbott. The ball was initially ruled a wide but South Africa reviewed it, finding the delivery to be legitimate and Gayle to have got an edge.
Without him, the West Indies struggled to keep up with the required run rate.
South Africa believed they had Narsingh Deonarine out in the 12th over when he ducked under a short ball from Parnell and reviewed the decision, but replays showed it struck the elbow guard and not the glove.
They had a wicket to celebrate soon enough however, with Dwayne Smith out in the next over, lbw to Aaron Phangiso for 31.
Deonarine then lost his wicket to a horrible run out, going for 42 with West Indies on 81 for three. Marlon Samuels got a huge inside edge but though it missed the stumps, Deonarine was wildly optimistic in calling for a single and paid with his wicket when sent back by Samuels.
Samuels at least made amends as he hung around for a stand of 91 with Denesh Ramdin, their partnership ending when he was cleaned up by Abbott for 50.
Ramdin followed four runs later, giving Parnell the first of his four for 42, with the same bowler removing Jonathan Carter – caught at third man – for a duck in the same over.
The wheels were coming off now and Russell nicked Parnell behind for 24, with the bowler’s hot streak then wrapped up by his snaring of Holder.
Darren Sammy – dropped on his first ball – at least clubbed a late 27 to take the score to what it was, but after Carlos Brathwaite edged De Lange behind and Sammy was bowled by Behardien, the game was up.