South Africa's AB de Villiers hits a shot during the Cricket World Cup match against the West IndiesJASON REED/Reuters
AB de Villiers scored the second-fastest century ever in a World Cup in a display of brutal hitting Friday, setting South Africa on course for a record-equaling 257-run win over West Indies.
De Villiers made an unbeaten 162 off 66 balls, with 17 boundaries and eight sixes, as he dismantled the West Indies' attack and pushed South Africa to 408-5 – the second-highest total ever at the World Cup.
The South Africa skipper reached his century off 52 balls and continued to dominate, helping his team add 80 runs in the last 3.2 overs of its innings.
"You get into that kind of mode and it doesn't happen very often and it's quite a good feeling to sort of feel that you one step ahead of the bowlers," de Villiers said. "That's part of cricket, you work really hard to get yourself in and then you work really hard to get some momentum behind you and then you've earned the right to take a bit of control of the game."
South Africa's bowlers were just as punishing, dismissing the West Indies for 151 to equal India's margin over Bermuda at Trinidad in 2007 as the biggest winning margin in tournament history.
Legspinner Imran Tahir took 5-45 to seal the crushing victory for South Africa, a resounding comeback following its meek 130-run loss to defending champion India last weekend.
"I really felt the guys were motivated to play some good cricket," de Villiers said. "It's a great turnaround after the disappointing loss."
Kyle Abbott took the prize wickets of Chris Gayle (3), who made a World Cup record 215 against Zimbabwe on Tuesday, and Marlon Samuels (0), before Tahir rolled through the middle and lower order.
Tahir's threatening line was helped by some expert fielding, with David Miller taking an athletic catch in the deep to remove Dwayne Smith for 31, before Abbott stooped low to take a good catch off Andre Russell (0).
Only West Indies skipper Jason Holder provided any concerted resistance with the bat, scoring 56 in the futile chase as he struggled obviously with a leg injury.
Earlier, de Villiers smashed 34 off one over from Holder as he lofted several big sixes to push the total past 400. The South African batsmen were relentless late in the innings, and Holder took much of the punishment, conceding 95 runs in his last five overs after starting with a respectable 1-9 from his first five.
"At that stage I just tried to get him off strike," Holder said. "He was obviously in full flow.
"If you analyze my bowling today, one player took me out. It happens and I just need to figure out what I can do better when things like that happen."
The South Africa innings wasn't always so hectic.
De Villiers combined with Rilee Rossouw (61) for a 134-run stand inside 13 overs after the South Africa top order took time to get settled, needing almost 15 overs to reach 50.
South Africa's batsmen began cautiously against some disciplined West Indies bowling, with Quinton de Kock finally teased into a poor shot to be caught for 12 off Holder in the sixth over.
Hashim Amla and Francois du Plessis weathered the tight line to each score half centuries and add 127 for the second wicket before Gayle (2-21) dismissed them both within three balls in a rare highlight for the Caribbean team.
Gayle had du Plessis (62) caught benind had Amla (65) trapped lbw.
But De Villiers and Rossouw only accelerated the scoring, adding 72 in five overs of the power play as each brought up their half-centuries.
Rossouw was eventually caught behind off Russell (2-74), and Jerome Taylor took a spectacular one-handed catch on the boundary to dismiss David Miller for 20.
It was another humbling defeat for the West Indies against the Proteas, following a lopsided series in South Africa in the build up to the World Cup.
"I wouldn't say it puts us on the back foot, we still have two games left," Holder said. "We have to deal with India next in Perth. We've going to be aggressive, we're going to play our normal style of cricket."