HARARE, Aug 25: Herschelle Gibbs smashed a century while skipper Graeme Smith made 96 as South Africa coasted to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the second One-day International on Saturday.

Gibbs made 111, his 17th limited overs century, off 100 balls with 16 fours and two sixes at the Harare Sports Club as the tourists took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

South Africa, set 248 to win, reached their target in the 40th over.

Earlier, Zimbabwe had made 247 off their 50 overs, with Sean Williams (54) top scoring with former skipper Tatenda Taibu, playing his second match since ending his international exile, hitting 43. Stuart Matsikenyeri hit a valuable 52.

Smith, who put on 174 for the first wicket with Gibbs, reached his 50 off 53 balls while his partner’s half-century came off 58 balls.

Smith missed out on a seventh ODI hundred when umpire Russell Tiffin ruled he got glove on an attempted sweep but Gibbs reached his 17th century with a flurry of boundaries, including a massive six to move to 102.

Gibbs fell with just two runs left to get but Jean-Paul Duminy’s unbeaten 24 finished the match in the 40th over.

Taibu had stepped up the momentum in the Zimbabwe innings making his 43 runs off 39 balls and shared an 84-run partnership with Matsikenyeri off 13 overs.

South Africa won the first match also by eight wickets on Wednesday.

The series concludes here on Sunday.

Scoreboard

ZIMBABWE:

V. Sibanda c de Villiers b Ntini 5H. Masakadza c de Villiers b M. Morkel 29

B.R.M. Taylor c Gibbs b Steyn 44

T. Taibu c Philander b J. Morkel 43

S.C. Williams c de Villiers b Steyn 54

S, Matsikenyeri b Steyn 52

E. Chigumbura b M. Morkel 4

K.M. Dabengwa not out 1

G.B. Brent not out 2

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-6, NB-4) 13

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 50 overs) 247

DID NOT BAT: P. Utseya, C.B. Mpofu.

FALL OF WKTS: 1-12, 2-47, 3-106, 4-147, 5-231, 6-238, 7-245.

Bowling: Pollock 10-2-25-0; Ntini 7-0-27-1; M. Morkel 10-0-39-2 (3nb, 3w); Steyn 10-1-65-3 (2w); Philander 3-0-18-0; J.A. Morkel 8-1-51-1 (1nb); Duminy 2-0-19-0 (1w).

SOUTH AFRICA:

G.C. Smith c Taibu b Utseya 96

H.H. Gibbs c Utseya b Williams 111

J.P. Duminy not out 24

A.B. de Villiers not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-18) 20

TOTAL (for two wkts, 39.1 overs) 251

FALL OF WKTS: 1-174, 2-246.

DID NOT BAT: L.L. Bosman, S.M. Pollock, V.D. Philander, J.A. Morkel, M. Morkel, D.W. Steyn, M. Ntini.

BOWLING: Mpofu 8-0-42-0 (3w); Brent 8-0-57-0 (3w); Chigumbura 7-0-40-0 (3w); Utseya 9-0-63-1 (1w); Dabengwa 5-0-37-0; Williams 2.1-0-10-1.

RESULT: South Africa won by eight wickets.

UMPIRES: R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe) and S.J. Davis (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: K.C. Barbour (Zimbabwe).

MATCH REFEREE: J Srinath (India).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Herschelle Gibbs.—AFP