Temba Bavuma's stunning century in vain as Proteas lose second ODI to West Indies

At Buffalo Park, East London

In the batting battle of captains fantastic, Shai Hope trumped Temba Bavuma as the West Indies beat South Africa by 48 runs to win the second ODI at a balmy, festive, and excitable East London on Saturday night.

Scorecard

Bavuma's (144) batting kung-fu more than matched that of Hope (128*), but where Hope received support in the West Indies making 335/8 in their allotted overs, Bavuma was a man alone in South Africa's 287.

There was support up-front from Quinton de Kock (48), but there wasn't much else from a middle order that contained three debutants in Ryan Rickelton, Tony de Zorzi, and Tristan Stubbs.

The fact that the South Africans were bowled out in 41.4 overs displayed poor batting management from a very inexperienced batting group.

They were asked to chase down the highest total at this ground and failing will be a lesson to them.

It meant the West Indies won only their fifth ODI against SA on these shores and their second at this ground after their sole success in the deflating 6-1 1998/99 ODI series defeat.

They now take an unassailable 1-0 lead ahead of Tuesday's third ODI in Potchefstroom.

Bavuma's form in recent limited overs cricket has been rich, with this hundred being his second in three ODIs and comfortably his highest score in the format.

This ton came hot on the heels of his match-winning 172 in the second Test against the same opponents at the Wanderers last week.

In what was Buffalo Park's first completed ODI in more than five years after Thursday's washout, Bavuma's knock was greeted by a joyous crowd, despite its final futility.

With the electric start provided to them by Bavuma and De Kock in terms of a 76-run stand that came off 52 balls, there was a platform for the