De Villiers blows away West Indies cup chances

De Villiers' maiden one-day international hundred led South Africa to their highest total in this competition — and the hosts had to take too many risks in chasing 356 for four.

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The upshot was a 67-run victory to keep the Proteas on course for a last-four spot while the Windies' slim prospects hang on crushing wins in their remaining two matches and a series of freakishly favourable results elsewhere..

De Villiers crashed 146 and shared a stand of 170 in 29 overs with the relatively subdued Jacques Kallis, who contributed 81.

The second-wicket pair joined forces at 21 for one and laid the platform for some astounding late hitting from Mark Boucher and Herschelle Gibbs.

It left West Indies needing to bring off a tournament record run chase but they could find no one to offer significant support to Ramnaresh Sarwan, who blasted 92 off 75 balls.

South Africa showed what could be done on a flat pitch and small ground, having been put in.

De Villiers found the boundaries more and more regularly — 12 fours and five sixes — despite having to bat with a runner because of severe cramp and suffering pain playing most shots through the last six overs of his stay.

He still managed four towering sixes from five balls faced late in his innings off the spin of Chris Gayle and Sarwan.

Gibbs (61 not out) and Boucher (52) continued the momentum with eight sixes and six fours between them, the wicketkeeper smashing his way to a 22-ball half-century and a mammoth 134 runs came from the last 10 overs.

Gayle and Devon Smith added 60 in quick time after the fall of Shivnarine Chanderpaul early on, but both fell in quick succession, and West Indies lost wickets at a regular rate.

Even talismanic captain Brian Lara could only muster 21 before being bowled by Kallis and Sarwan ran out of partners before he fell eight runs short of a deserved ton. Lusty hitting by Daren Powell took the hosts to a final score of 289 for nine.