Faf du Plessis made the second-highest score by a South African in one-day internationals to power his team to a towering total against Sri Lanka at Newlands on Tuesday.
South Africa‚ who have already won the series‚ posted 367/5 after choosing to bat first against a Lankan outfit that looked less interested in the game with every ball they bowled and fielded.
Du Plessis’ 185‚ the highest score in the 39 ODIs played at Newlands‚ fell just short of the undefeated 188 Gary Kirsten scored in South Africa’s 1996 World Cup match against the United Arab Emirates in Rawalpindi.
Du Plessis faced 141 balls and hit 16 fours and three sixes to earn his eighth century in the format.
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His effort was the joint 11th highest innings in the 3‚833 ODIs played in cricket history.
AB de Villiers scored 64‚ his 50th 50 in the format‚ and shared 137 with Du Plessis - a stand that followed the 100 Quinton de Kock and Du Plessis put on for the second wicket.
Both partnerships rattled onto the scoreboard at better than a run-a-ball‚ while the 74 runs that Du Plessis and Farhaan Behardien shared for the fifth wicket gushed at 12.68 to the over.
De Villiers was bowled round his legs by left-arm spinner Sachith Pathirana with a delivery that did not turn but hit middle stump as the batsman advanced down the pitch and wide of the stumps to attempt a sweep.
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Du Plessis was caught in the deep with the fifth-last ball of the innings‚ which he tried to hit down the ground for six.
The dismissals of Hashim Amla and JP Duminy‚ for one and 20‚ were the only blots in South Africa’s otherwise exemplary batting copybook.
TMG Digital/TMG Sport
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