West Indies suffered a setback towards the tri-series one-day international final in the Caribbean as South Africa thrashed them by 139 runs on Wednesday at Warner Park in St Kitts.
Imran Tahir ripped through Caribbean side, becoming the first South African to take seven wickets in a one-day international.
The leg-spinner finished with figures of 7-45 to lead his team to a bonus-point win.
Hashim Amla (110) had set his side up after they were put in to bat, guiding them to 343-4 from their 50 overs.
Faf Du Plessis (73 not out) and Quinton De Kock (71) were also strong contributors in the bonus-point win.
Tahir was almost unplayable as Johnson Charles (49) top-scored for the Windies as they were bowled out for 204 in 38 overs.
West Indies won the toss and put South Africa in, a decision captain Jason Holder was soon lamenting as Amla’s masterful century provided the foundation for the tourists’ innings.
Fellow opener De Kock also batted beautifully, with South Africa piling up a giant 182-run partnership for the first wicket.
Amla hit 13 boundaries before he was caught by spinner Sunil Narine off the bowling of Kieron Pollard.
De Kock was bowled by Jerome Taylor for 71 but the runs kept flowing for South Africa, with Chris Morris making a rapid 40, but it was Du Plessis who forced his side on beyond 300.
With Taylor particularly leaky – his eight overs went for 72 runs – Du Plessis caught fire with a terrific unbeaten 73, clearing the ropes twice.
There were also a pair of sixes for AB De Villiers, who made a quick 27 before Pollard struck with his second wicket.
Narine was the only bowler to provide any control for West Indies, his 10 overs costing just 46, but South Africa’s total of 343-4 was always likely to be too big for the hosts to chase.
That proved to be the case despite a fast start as Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher (21) reached 69 when Tahir removed the latter in the ninth over.
The wickets fell at regular intervals from that point on with Marlon Samuels (24) the second highest scorer for the Windies.
Tahir was decisive, taking the final six wickets of the innings in a huge win for South Africa.
It was the second time the teams had met with West Indies scoring a four-wicket victory in the opening match of the series on June 3 in Guyana.
As a result of the victory on Wednesday, South Africa moved atop the table on 10 points, one ahead of Australia on nine with West Indies on eight points.
