KANDY, Sri Lanka, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Reeza Hendricks’ sizzling century in his debut match helped set up South Africa’s series-clinching 78-run victory against Sri Lanka in the third one day international on Sunday.

The number three batsman took only 88 balls to smash the fastest ODI hundred by a debutant and was one of the four South African batsmen to post a 50-plus score as they amassed 363-7.

The tourists then returned to bowl out Sri Lanka for 285 in the 46th over to record their third successive victory in the five-match series.

Put into bat on a flat track, Hendricks and Hashim Amla, who made a run-a-ball 59, took South Africa past the 100-mark following opener Quinton de Kock’s early dismissal.

Thisara Perera (4-75) removed Amla and South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis (10) but Hendricks and JP Duminy kept the scoreboard ticking with their 78-run stand.

Hendricks, who turns 29 this month, hit eight boundaries and a six in his 89-ball 102 before falling to Lahiru Kumara in the 35th over.

Duminy clobbered four sixes in his 92 off 70 balls as he and David Miller, who made 51, continued to punish the hosts.

The tourists really accelerated towards the end of their innings, plundering 71 runs in the last five overs, to post their highest total in Sri Lanka.

To accomplish the chase, Sri Lanka needed their top order to fire but that did not happen as Lungi Ngidi (4-57) removed both the openers in his successive overs.

Dhananjaya de Silva kept Sri Lanka alive with a belligerent 84 but once he fell in the 42nd over, a ball after smacking his third six, the contest was truly over for his team.

The teams stay put in Kandy for the fourth one-dayer on Wednesday.

South Africa innings

 Hashim Amla         b Thisara Perera                           59

 Quinton de Kock     c Kusal Perera b Lahiru Kumara              2

 Reeza Hendricks     b Lahiru Kumara                           102

 Faf du Plessis      c Suranga Lakmal b Thisara Perera          10

 JP Duminy           c Dhananjaya de Silva b Thisara Perera     92

 David Miller        c Dhananjaya de Silva b Thisara Perera     51

 Andile Phehlukwayo  Not Out                                    24

 Willem Mulder       b Akila Dananjaya                           2

 Extras              4b 3lb 1nb 0pen 13w                        21

 Total               (50.0 overs)                            363-7

Fall of Wickets : 1-42 de Kock, 2-101 Amla, 3-137 du Plessis, 4-215 Hendricks, 5-318 Duminy, 6-340 Miller, 7-363 Mulder

Did Not Bat : Rabada, Shamsi, Ngidi

 Bowling              Ov  Md  Rn  Wk  Econ  Ex

 Suranga Lakmal        9   1  59   0  6.56  2w 1nb

 Lahiru Kumara        10   0  67   2  6.70  2w

 Akila Dananjaya      10   0  81   1  8.10  4w

 Thisara Perera       10   0  75   4  7.50

 Prabath Jayasuriya    6   0  42   0  7.00

 Dhananjaya de Silva   5   0  32   0  6.40

Sri Lanka innings

 Upul Tharanga        c Willem Mulder b Lungi Ngidi                    19

 Niroshan Dickwella   c Faf du Plessis b Lungi Ngidi                   10

 Kusal Perera         lbw Andile Phehlukwayo                           27

 Kusal Mendis         c Willem Mulder b Lungi Ngidi                    31

 Thisara Perera       c Quinton de Kock b Willem Mulder                16

 Angelo Mathews       lbw Tabraiz Shamsi                               32

 Dhananjaya de Silva  c Quinton de Kock b Andile Phehlukwayo           84

 Akila Dananjaya      c Lungi Ngidi b Andile Phehlukwayo               37

 Suranga Lakmal       c&b Lungi Ngidi                                  12

 Prabath Jayasuriya   b Tabraiz Shamsi                                  0

 Lahiru Kumara        Not Out                                           7

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

 Total                (45.2 overs)                            285 all out

Fall of Wickets : 1-20 Dickwella, 2-37 Tharanga, 3-63 Perera, 4-81 Perera, 5-124 Mendis, 6-155 Mathews, 7-250 Perera, 8-273 de Silva, 9-275 Jayasuriya, 10-285 Lakmal

Bowling              Ov  Md  Rn  Wk  Econ  Ex

 Kagiso Rabada         8   0  34   0  4.25  1w

 Lungi Ngidi         8.2   0  57   4  6.84  2w

 Andile Phehlukwayo    9   0  74   3  8.22  4w

 Willem Mulder         6   0  34   1  5.67  1w

 Tabraiz Shamsi       10   0  62   2  6.20  2w

 JP Duminy             4   0  24   0  6.00