Temba Bavuma made a century against West Indies. Picture: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
A spectacular effort from captain Temba Bavuma was not enough on Saturday as the Proteas were handed a crushing defeat by the West Indies in the second one-day international (ODI) in East London.
While Quinton de Kock gave the hosts an explosive start, scoring 48 runs off 26 balls, Bavuma had to carry the rest of the national team in an attempt to carry them home.
On a flat wicket which provided little for the bowlers, the skipper stood up, smashing a career-best 144 runs off 118 balls, including sevens sixes and 11 fours.
His effort was in vain, however, as the SA team collapsed to 287 all out, as they were handed a 48-run defeat.
Earlier, West Indies captain Shai Hope played from the front, scoring a century to lead his team to an impressive total of 335/8.
The tourists got off to a great start after winning the toss and choosing to bat, with Brandon King and Kyle Mayers sharing 67 runs for the first wicket.
The introduction of spin bowler Bjorn Fortuin to the Proteas attack triggered a top-order collapse, when he had Mayers caught on the boundary for 36 runs off 26 balls.
The West Indies then lost two more wickets for just four runs in the next couple of overs before Hope led a recovery, sharing 87 runs with Nicholas Pooran for the fourth wicket.
Fast bowler Gerald Coetzee (who took 3/57) had Pooran caught by Rassie van der Dussen for 39 runs in the 24th over, but Shai managed to carry the middle order, earning his 13th career ODI century.
The skipper combined in an 80-run partnership with Rovman Powell before Powell sliced a Coetzee delivery onto his stumps and was sent for a walk after making 46 runs.
Shai finished the innings unbeaten on a total of 125 off 115 balls as he paved the way to a dominant win.