A captain's knock of 144 off 118 balls from Temba Bavuma was not enough as the Proteas lost by 48 runs to the West Indies in the second ODI at Buffalo Park, East London on Saturday.
Bavuma notched up a third career century and reached his highest ODI score surpassing his previous best of 113 against Ireland in 2016.
He hit 11 fours and seven sixes but could not get the home side over the line as the Caribbean outfit clinched a 1-0 lead heading to the third ODI in Potchefstroom on Tuesday.
Chasing down the second-highest venue first innings target of 336, Bavuma and Quinton de Kock got off to a good start.
The pair delivered an opening stand of 76 (52) with de Kock the main aggressor.
The lefthander scored 48 off 26 balls before he was trapped leg-before wicket by Kyle Mayers in the ninth over.
Bavuma picked up his half-century off 48 deliveries while debutant Ryan Rickelton had a short stay at the crease trapped in front by Yannic Cariah for 14 leaving SA 123 for two after 16 overs.
Bavuma and debutant Tony de Zorzi stood firm and steadied the ship for the home side with the crowd behind firmly them.
As Bavuma reached 1000 ODI runs, Rassie van der Dussen (8), Tristan Stubbs (6) and Marco Jansen (17) all fell in quick succession to all but end the home teams' hopes.
Earlier, the West Indies won the toss and opted to bat first.
They got off to a flying start with openers Brandon King and Mayers taking the Proteas bowlers to the cleaners.
The two passed by 50 runs in 7.1 overs and had a 67 (52) partnership before Mayers (36) was caught at deep midwicket off Bjorn Fortuin.
In his second over in ODI cricket, Gerald Coetzee dismissed Shamarh Brooks for a duck.
The left arm spin of Fortuin seemed to be doing a trick io the slow Buffalo Park surface. He came back for another spell and yorked King for 30.
At 71 for three, West Indies needed to rebuild, and it was up to current and former captains — Hope and Nicholas Pooran — to do that.
They took on the spinners with good use of their feet and also punished Jansen, who continued to struggle to find the right length as they shared a stand of 86 runs from 79 balls which took West Indies past 150.
Bavuma bought Coetzee back into the bowling attack and the quick immediately dismissed Pooran for 39 (41).
Skipper Hope shared another cameo partnership of 80 (83) with Rovman Powell.
Powell missed out on a half-century as he chopped on for 46 (49) off a scrambled seam from Coetzee.
Jansen had Akeal Hosein out LBW with an inswinging yorker and Odean Smith was bowled by a Shamsi wrong one that he did not pick.
Hope brought up his hundred off 104 balls and helped the Windies set the home side 335.
Coetzee was the pick of the SA bowlers with figures of 3/57 while Shamsi and Fortuin got two each.
DispatchLIVE
Bavuma's heroics not enough as Proteas go down in EL
Image: Theo Jeptha
A captain's knock of 144 off 118 balls from Temba Bavuma was not enough as the Proteas lost by 48 runs to the West Indies in the second ODI at Buffalo Park, East London on Saturday.
Bavuma notched up a third career century and reached his highest ODI score surpassing his previous best of 113 against Ireland in 2016.
He hit 11 fours and seven sixes but could not get the home side over the line as the Caribbean outfit clinched a 1-0 lead heading to the third ODI in Potchefstroom on Tuesday.
Chasing down the second-highest venue first innings target of 336, Bavuma and Quinton de Kock got off to a good start.
The pair delivered an opening stand of 76 (52) with de Kock the main aggressor.
The lefthander scored 48 off 26 balls before he was trapped leg-before wicket by Kyle Mayers in the ninth over.
Bavuma picked up his half-century off 48 deliveries while debutant Ryan Rickelton had a short stay at the crease trapped in front by Yannic Cariah for 14 leaving SA 123 for two after 16 overs.
Bavuma and debutant Tony de Zorzi stood firm and steadied the ship for the home side with the crowd behind firmly them.
As Bavuma reached 1000 ODI runs, Rassie van der Dussen (8), Tristan Stubbs (6) and Marco Jansen (17) all fell in quick succession to all but end the home teams' hopes.
Earlier, the West Indies won the toss and opted to bat first.
They got off to a flying start with openers Brandon King and Mayers taking the Proteas bowlers to the cleaners.
The two passed by 50 runs in 7.1 overs and had a 67 (52) partnership before Mayers (36) was caught at deep midwicket off Bjorn Fortuin.
In his second over in ODI cricket, Gerald Coetzee dismissed Shamarh Brooks for a duck.
The left arm spin of Fortuin seemed to be doing a trick io the slow Buffalo Park surface. He came back for another spell and yorked King for 30.
At 71 for three, West Indies needed to rebuild, and it was up to current and former captains — Hope and Nicholas Pooran — to do that.
They took on the spinners with good use of their feet and also punished Jansen, who continued to struggle to find the right length as they shared a stand of 86 runs from 79 balls which took West Indies past 150.
Bavuma bought Coetzee back into the bowling attack and the quick immediately dismissed Pooran for 39 (41).
Skipper Hope shared another cameo partnership of 80 (83) with Rovman Powell.
Powell missed out on a half-century as he chopped on for 46 (49) off a scrambled seam from Coetzee.
Jansen had Akeal Hosein out LBW with an inswinging yorker and Odean Smith was bowled by a Shamsi wrong one that he did not pick.
Hope brought up his hundred off 104 balls and helped the Windies set the home side 335.
Coetzee was the pick of the SA bowlers with figures of 3/57 while Shamsi and Fortuin got two each.
DispatchLIVE
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