DHAKA: AB de Villiers’ second-fastest World Cup ton coupled with three more fifties helped South Africa set a challenging target of 409-run for West Indies in the teams’ ICC Cricket World Cup Pool B match in Sydney on Friday.

South Africa scored 408 runs for five in 50 overs. Villiers hit an outstanding hundred, scoring 162 runs off 66 balls with 17 boundaries and eight over boundaries. His strike rate was at 245.45.

Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis and Rilee Rossouw hit fifties.

Quinton de Kock and Amla began the Proteas’ innings. South Africa lost early wicket of Kock as Jason Holder made him early walk to the pavilion.

Plessis came to the crease and began accompanying Amla. The former scored 62 runs off 70 balls while the latter added 65 runs off 88 balls. Chris Gayle stopped both of them.

The partnership between Amla and du Plessis is the 2nd-highest 2nd-wicket stand for South Africa in World Cups.

Rossouw and de Villiers came to crease then. Rossouw scored 61 runs off 39 balls until Andre Russell sent him back to the pavilion.

De Villiers continued, David Miller began accompanying him then. Miller left the crease after contributing 20 runs only.

Farhaan Behardien filled the blank. AB de Villiers scored 162 runs not out, spending 102 minutes on the pitch. Behardien added 10 runs of 5 balls.

Earlier, South Africa captain AB de Villiers won the toss and decided to bat first. The match kicked off at 9:30am Bangladesh time at Sydney Cricket Ground.

South Africa made some changes. Rossouw and Behardien are in while Duminy and Parnell are out. For West Indies, Sulieman Benn is in while Nikita Miller is out.

Teams

South Africa

HM Amla, Q de Kock†, F du Plessis, RR Rossouw, AB de Villiers*, DA Miller, F Behardien, DW Steyn, KJ Abbott, M Morkel, Imran Tahir

West Indies
DR Smith, CH Gayle, MN Samuels, D Ramdin†, LMP Simmons, JL Carter, DJG Sammy, AD Russell, JO Holder*, JE Taylor, SJ Benn

BDST: 1350 HRS, FEB 27 2015