Lanning's 134 (122) took her level with England's Charlotte Edwards for the most one day international centuries in women's cricket with nine as Australia took a 2-0 series lead with a 65-run win (D/L method).

Edwards' nine ODI tons have come in 180 innings - Lanning took only 51, and at 24 years old she has a long career ahead.

The Australian skipper combined with Ellyse Perry (95no off 129 balls) for the equal seventh highest partnership in women's ODI cricket as they piled on 224 for the third wicket.

Perry's knock marked the second time in as many games she has been unbeaten in the 90s, and for the second innings in a row she posted her highest ODI score after a match-winning 93no in the series opener on Friday.

"It was nice to go on and make that big score," Lanning said.

"I've sort of been scoring 20s and 30s for the last four or five games so it was nice to score big and contribute to a win as well.

"[The record is] not something I've given a lot of thought to but I really do look to make big scores and match winning scores and it was nice to be able to do that today."

A couple of early wickets had the Southern Stars on the back foot before Lanning and Perry joined forces at 2/27.

Their record stand propelled the hosts to 4/278 and Lanning believes Perry's maiden ODI century is not too far off.

"The form she's in, she's probably going to get to it next game at the rate she's going," Lanning said.

Storm clouds gathered in the distance and lightning lit up the Canberra sky as South Africa mounted a reply, and Perry struck on the pitch with the early wicket of South African opener Lizelle Lee (1).

Wickets to Jessica Jonassen and Kristen Beams had the Proteas struggling at 3/56 after 18.4 overs as the rain began to fall in the nation's capital and the downpour evoked concerns Australia would fall agonisingly short of closing out the match.

Australia needed to bowl just eight more deliveries to constitute a game as the rain hammered down before play resumed with the match reduced to 38 overs per side and a revised target of 241.

Two more wickets had the Proteas battling at 5/119 after 31.2 overs, well behind the Duckworth-Lewis asking rate as the heavens opened again.

Come 9:30pm the captains shook hands and the game was called to an end with the Southern Stars now looking to clinch an unassailable 3-0 lead at North Sydney Oval on Wednesday.