JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — AB de Villiers hit the fastest century in One-Day International history as South Africa overwhelmed the West Indies in the second One-Day International at the Wanderers in Johannesburg yesterday.

De Villiers raced to his century off 31 balls — five balls fewer than the previous record — on the way to an astonishing 149 off 44 balls.

With opening batsmen Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw also hitting centuries in a South African record first-wicket stand, South Africa piled up a massive 439 for two.

The West Indies were never likely to chase down a world record target but managed a respectable 291 for seven to give South Africa a 148-run win and a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

The target was never likely to be within the reach of the West Indies, especially after big-hitting Chris Gayle was caught at deep midwicket off Morne Morkel for 19 in the fifth over.

Dwayne Smith, caught off a Morkel no-ball in the first over when he had four, made 64 off 65 balls and Denesh Ramdin contributed 57 off 55 deliveries.

De Villiers gave credit to Amla and Rossouw for building a foundation. He said he had planned to send in David Miller for the closing overs but was persuaded by coach Russell Domingo to go in himself.

“There was always going to be a lot of aggressive batting around Hash at the end,” said De Villiers.

“It just came off for me. I did a lot of walks up and down in the change room thinking about how I should be playing.

“I got fired up in the change room, I sort of played my knock before I came out to bat. Aggression was probably the main thing for me, I just wanted to go from the word go.”

Amla (153 not out) and Rossouw (128) put on 247 for the first wicket — a record partnership for any wicket for South Africa.

Rossouw was dismissed off the third ball of the 39th over. De Villiers promoted himself to number three and struck the ball out of the middle of his bat from the first delivery he faced, which he thrashed for four past bowler Jerome Taylor.

He went to fifty off 16 balls, one fewer than Sanath Jayasuriya’s previous record for the fastest half-century, for Sri Lanka against Pakistan in 1995/96, then powered his way past Corey Anderson’s record for the fastest century.

He took five balls fewer than Anderson’s hundred for New Zealand against the West Indies in 2013/14.

The South African captain’s innings included 16 sixes, equalling the world record set by Rohit Sharma when he hit 209 for India against Australia in Bangalore in 2013/14.

He also hit nine fours in an innings which had a near-capacity crowd at the Wanderers ‘bullring’ roaring in approval.

West Indian players rushed to congratulate him and Gayle, who played a match-winning Twenty20 innings at the Wanderers a week earlier, bowed in salute as De Villiers walked past him.

“AB really took the game away from us,” said West Indian captain Jason Holder. “The ball went everywhere, that’s what exceptional players do.”

South Africa went past their own previous highest total — the 438 for nine they scored in a record run chase against Australia on the same ground in 2005/06 — and Sri Lanka’s world record of 443 for nine against the Netherlands in 2006 seemed set to fall.

But De Villiers hit the fourth ball of the final over from Andre Russell to deep cover and Amla could not score off the final two deliveries.

Amla’s 153 not out was scored off 142 balls with 14 fours, while Rossouw hit his 128 off 115 balls with 11 fours and two sixes.

It was a maiden century for the left-handed Rossouw, who had the dubious distinction of having made five ducks in his previous 10 One-Day International innings.