Heinrich Klaasen hit an impressive 54-ball century as the Proteas beat the West Indies by four wickets in the third and final one-day international on Tuesday.

South Africa was in trouble at 87 for four while chasing a West Indian total of 260, but Klaasen went for his shots and the home team reached the target with 20.3 overs remaining.

The series was tied 1-1 after the first game was postponed due to rain.

“We try to play conditions and not the situation and the conditions were fantastic,” said Klaasen.

In Potchefstroom, Klaasen scored 119 runs not out off 61 balls, with 15 fours and five sixes. He shared partnerships of 55 off 38 balls with David Miller (17) and 103 off 62 deliveries with Marco Jansen to win the match (43).

“It was a good wicket and it was one of my better knocks,” said Klaasen after notching his second one-day international century and the fourth-fastest for South Africa behind two from AB de Villiers one from Mark Boucher.

De Villiers holds the world record for the fastest century with his 31-ball effort against West Indies in Johannesburg in 2014/2015.

Alzarri Joseph stunned the South Africans by taking the first two wickets with aggressive, short-pitched bowling at the beginning of their innings.

He finished with three wickets for fifty, but the remaining West Indian bowlers were severely punished.

Klaasen was especially harsh on spin bowlers Akeal Hosein, who took two wickets and conceded 49 runs in seven overs, and Yannic Cariah, who conceded 49 runs in 3.3 overs.

West Indies were bowled out for 260 after being sent in by Aiden Markram, South Africa’s captain in the absence of Temba Bavuma, who was suffering from a hamstring strain.

In his innings of 72 runs off 72 balls, Brandon King smashed 11 fours and one six for a total of 72.

But the rest of the West Indian batsmen failed, with the exception of Nicholas Pooran, who scored 39 runs, and Jason Holder, who scored 36.

“We batted well in parts but we definitely did not perform with the ball,” said West Indies captain Shai Hope.

Even though the series didn’t count for the World Cup Super League, Markram said Tuesday’s result was important because South Africa needs to beat the Netherlands in two games at the end of the month if they want to qualify for the World Cup automatically.

“It’s nice to get momentum going into those games,” said Markram.

Photo by Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix