DURBAN, Feb 27: Captain Graeme Smith hit his third century in seven matches as South Africa crushed Zimbabwe by 131 runs at Kingsmead on Sunday to register their second successive win in the series.

Smith made a career-best 117 as South Africa clinched the three-match series with a game to spare against a Zimbabwe team which was hopelessly outclassed. The home side hammered 329 for six against a depleted Zimbabwe bowling attack and despite being without most of their own front-line bowlers, South Africa restricted Zimbabwe to 198 for seven.

It was the second successive time the hosts topped 300 after being sent in by Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu - they made 301 for seven when they won the first match by 165 runs in Johannesburg Friday.

Smith and Herschelle Gibbs (75) shared a fourth wicket stand of 134 off 137 balls as South Africa recovered from a shaky start. They were 67 for three when the pair came together in the 15th over. Smith made his runs off 129 balls with five fours and four sixes, while Gibbs faced 73 balls and hit eight fours and a six.

Justin Kemp smashed a 19-ball half-century in the closing overs, finishing with 53 not out off 21 balls with two fours and five sixes. Zimbabwe, missing injured fast bowler Douglas Hondo and all-rounder Elton Chigumbura, suffered another blow when opening bowler Tinashe Panyangara, who bowled well in the first match, had to leave the field with a back strain after bowling only 3.4 overs.

Chigumbura could not play after he top-edged a ball into his face in the nets Saturday. He was replaced by Gavin Ewing, who was the most economical bowler, conceding only 44 runs off 10 overs with his off-spinners.

Panyangara's injury left skipper Tatendu Taibu with limited options. His task was made more difficult when Gibbs targeted off-spinner Prosper Utseya, who was Zimbabwe's best bowler in the first match. Utseya was hammered for 60 runs off six overs after taking three for 40 in 10 overs in Johannesburg.

South Africa went in with a weakened side after it was decided that Sean Pollock, who had been expected to play in Durban, his home town, should sit out all three matches to rest a sore left ankle ahead of a two-match Test series which starts in Cape Town Friday.

Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, who played in the opening match, was also released from the squad ahead of the Test series. With Jacque Kallis not included in the squad so that he too could be rested and Andre Nel still suffering from a hamstring strain, South Africa were without their leading all-rounders and strike bowlers.

Swing bowler Charl Langeveldt returned for the first time since taking five wickets on his Test debut against England in Cape Town in January but looked short of match practice as he conceded 41 runs in eight overs.

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