DURBAN (Reuters) - Quinton de Kock’s swashbuckling century inspired South Africa to beat Sri Lanka by 71 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis system at Kingsmead on Sunday to secure a winning 3-0 lead in their five-match one-day international series.

After South Africa had been put into bat, De Kock smashed 121 off 108 balls at the top of the innings — his 14th ODI hundred — as they went on to make 331-5 off their 50 overs.

Sri Lanka, set a revised target of 193 after a rain delay, fell a long way short, managing to score only 121-5 off 24 overs in reply.

Sri Lanka had already been falling behind the required over rate at 75-2 off 16 overs when a rain storm took the players off for a two-hour break, after which the visitors were set a Herculean target of 118 runs off just eight overs to win.

Kusal Mendis was caught and bowled by Imran Tahir for 41 just as Sri Lanka looked set to take on the challenge but despite the best efforts of Thisara Perera, who swung at every ball, the tourists were always fighting a losing cause.

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De Kock had earlier announced his intent with a four off the first ball of the game and kept up the attack before eventually getting to three figures off 89 balls, having fallen just short in the last ODI in Pretoria last Wednesday when he scored 94.

Rassie van der Dussen added 50 and a cameo from Andile Phehlukwayo, who hit 38 off 15 at the end of the innings, ensured South Africa went past 300 as they continued their World Cup preparations with some aplomb.

Sri Lanka lost key batsman Kusal Perera early on in the game when he looked to have hurt his hamstring in the field and was taken to hospital for scans.

Officials said he would not have been able to bat had he been needed but it is unsure how serious the injury is.

South Africa and Sri Lanka will play the fourth match of the series in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday.

South Africa  1st innings

 Quinton de Kock        c Niroshan Dickwella b Kasun Rajitha     121

 Reeza Hendricks        c Lasith Malinga b Isuru Udana             4

 Faf du Plessis         c Niroshan Dickwella b Lasith Malinga     36

 Rassie van der Dussen  lbw Kamindu Mendis                        50

 David Miller           Not Out                                   41

 Dwaine Pretorius       b Isuru Udana                             31

 Andile Phehlukwayo     Not Out                                   38

 Extras                 0b 5lb 0nb 0pen 5w                        10

 Total                  (50.0 overs)                           331-5

Fall of Wickets : 1-24 Hendricks, 2-121 du Plessis, 3-187 de Kock, 4-231 van der Dussen, 5-284 Pretorius

Did Not Bat : Rabada, Ngidi, Tahir, Shamsi

 Bowling          Ov  Md  Rn  Wk  Econ  Ex

 Lasith Malinga   10   0  68   1  6.80  1w

 Isuru Udana       8   0  50   2  6.25

 Kasun Rajitha     8   0  69   1  8.62  3w

 Akila Dananjaya   9   0  56   0  6.22  1w

 Thisara Perera    5   0  38   0  7.60

 Kamindu Mendis   10   0  45   1  4.50

Sri Lanka  1st innings

 Avishka Fernando    c Tabraiz Shamsi b Lungi Ngidi            23

 Niroshan Dickwella  c Imran Tahir b Kagiso Rabada              2

 Oshada Fernando     c Quinton de Kock b Tabraiz Shamsi        25

 Kusal Mendis        c&b Imran Tahir                           41

 Thisara Perera      c Rassie van der Dussen b Imran Tahir     12

 Kamindu Mendis      Not Out                                    8

 Isuru Udana         Not Out                                    0

 Extras              4b 1lb 0nb 0pen 5w                        10

 Total               (24.0 overs)                           121-5

Fall of Wickets : 1-11 Dickwella, 2-35 Fernando, 3-76 Fernando, 4-104 Mendis, 5-118 Perera

Did Not Bat : Perera, Perera, Rajitha, Malinga

Bowling             Ov  Md  Rn  Wk  Econ  Ex

 Kagiso Rabada        6   2  18   1  3.00  1w

 Lungi Ngidi          5   1  25   1  5.00

 Andile Phehlukwayo   2   0  19   0  9.50  1w

 Dwaine Pretorius     2   0   6   0  3.00

 Imran Tahir          5   0  19   2  3.80  1w

 Tabraiz Shamsi       4   0  29   1  7.25  2w