BASSETERRE, St Kitts (Reuters) — Australia opener Matthew Hayden smashed the fastest century in World Cup history on Saturday to help propel the world champions to an 83-run win over South Africa in the key Group A match.Hayden needed only 66 balls, one delivery less than Canadian John Davison’s effort against West Indies in 2003, to reach his century before he was caught for 101.

Captain Ricky Ponting became the seventh player to cross the 10,000 run mark in one-dayers as he scored 91 and Michael Clarke 92 in Australia’s 377 for six, their highest World Cup total.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers put on 160 for the first wicket but after de Villiers was brilliantly run out by Shane Watson for 92 the innings lost momentum.

Smith, who was forced to retire hurt with cramp after scoring 72, added only two more on his return before he was caught and the innings finally closed on 294 with two overs to spare.

The win allowed Australia to carry two points into the Super Eights starting next week.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith said his team remained confident of World Cup success.

“A victory would have been terrific, but there’s still so much cricket to be played in the tournament,” Smith told a news conference.

“The key is to win enough games to get yourself into the semi-finals and we know what we need to do.

“A total of 350 would probably have been a gettable total, maybe 378 was a few too many to chase.

“We were right in there up until the 35th over, maybe we left ourselves too much to do in the last 10 overs.

“The turning point for me was that AB and I theoretically got out at about the same time. I’ve never had cramp as badly as that before.”

Smith returned to the crease in the 41st over but he faced just two more balls before he miscued a sweep off leg spinner Brad Hogg and was caught by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist for 74.

Smith was satisfied that his team had put up a competitive performance.

“We certainly had opportunities to win the game,” he said. “We lost wickets at crucial times, they bowled well in the last 10 overs and they had 20 runs too many.”

South Africa move on to the Super Eights in Guyana, where their first game is against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

“One of our strengths of late is our ability to pick ourselves up; we’re not a team that kills ourselves after we’ve lost a game,” Smith said.

“It’s important to learn the lessons and move on. We’re not going to mope around.” Adam Gilchrist and Hayden tore into the South African bowling, and Australia reached 100 off 81 balls when Hayden drove medium pacer Andrew Hall over extra cover for six.

Fast bowler Charl Langeveldt separated the openers in the 15th over with 106 runs on the board. Gilchrist fell for 42 after steering a mistimed cut to Herschelle Gibbs at backward point.

Hayden claimed his record in the 23rd over with a straight six off part-time off-spinner Smith.

The strapping left-hander was dismissed seven balls later when he looped a delivery from fast bowler Jacques Kallis to Gibbs at backward point.

Hayden faced 68 balls in all and hit 14 fours and four sixes in his chanceless innings.

Ponting and Clarke ensured that Australia maintained the pace with a brisk stand of 161 for the third wicket.

Ponting scored a run-a-ball 91 while Clarke hit 92 off 75 balls.

Clarke was dropped on eight by De Villiers at short mid-wicket and again on 56 by Gibbs.

Pollock’s figures of nought for 83 were his worst in his 277 one-day internationals.

Smith and De Villiers kickstarted South Africa’s reply with a free flowing partnership. None of Australia’s bowlers threatened the openers, and it was left to Watson to end the stand with a stunning direct hit from the backward square leg boundary to run out De Villiers for 92 in the 21st over.

Smith retired hurt with cramp on 72 in the 26th over, and leg spinner Brad Hogg soon had a lunging Gibbs stumped for 17 by wicketkeeper Gilchrist.

Five balls later Ashwell Prince was out for one when he pulled a Glenn McGrath delivery and was caught by Hayden at deep square leg.

The South Africans’ last real hope was snuffed out in the 41st over when the returning Smith faced just two more balls before he miscued a sweep off Hogg and was caught by Gilchrist for 74.

Hogg took three for 61.