Rickelton leads South Africa to dominant victory against Afghanistan

After establishing that the wicket was far from ideal, South Africa's impressive total of 315/6 was sure to pose a daunting task for Afghanistan. Facing off against the formidable South African pace trio, Afghanistan needed to deliver an extraordinary performance to pull off a record chase. But achieving such a feat was much easier said than done.

On Friday, at the National Stadium, that record wasn’t meant to be for Afghanistan. They were bowled out for 208 in 43.3 overs as South Africa won by 107 runs.

The bowling went as per plan, as van der Dussen said. Lungi Nigidi (2/56) struck first, removing Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 10. Jansen’s masterful sixth over maiden saw him repeatedly beat Sediqullah Atal’s bat, building pressure.

Ibrahim Zadran (17) showed brief resistance with a six off Kagiso Rabada (3/36) but his joy was short-lived as the Proteas responded immediately, sending the middle stump for a walk.

The Afghan collapse continued as both Atal (16)and Hashmatullah Shahidi (0) fell in quick succession, leaving their side reeling at 51/4 after 15 overs. Rahmat Shah (90) and Azmatullah Omarzai (18) attempted to counter-attack against Ngidi in the following overs, but the damage had been done by the relentless pacers.

Rahmat put up a good fight with a 90 off 92, without getting much support from the other end. He took on Keshav Maharaj (1/46) and Wiaan Mulder (2/36) but none of the lower order batters could hold on to the other end.

Rickleton creates history

Earlier, Ryan Rickelton’s first ODI century and valuable contributions from the middle order put South Africa in a strong position. The SA opener etched his name in history, becoming the first South African to score a century on Champions Trophy debut.

The wicketkeeper displayed controlled aggression -- finding boundaries at opportune moments while maintaining a steady rotation of strike. His mature innings laid a solid foundation for the Proteas and captain Temba Bavuma provided excellent support with a watchful 58 off 76 deliveries, adding 129 runs for the second wicket.

Although Bavuma looked set for a big score, he couldn’t convert his fluent fifty into a century, faltering just as South Africa began to accelerate. Rickelton’s dismissal was unusual considering his near-flawless innings. He was caught off-guard by a sharp throw from Rashid Khan (0/59) after throwing the ball to Afghan wicket-keeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Despite a desperate dive, his bat was in the air, bringing an unfortunate end to the knock.

The Afghanistan spinners managed to apply the brakes at least briefly. Rashid, Mohammad Nabi (2/51) and Noor Ahmad (1/65) bowling a disciplined line to prevent boundaries between the 32nd and 39th overs but overall, barring Nabi, the bowlers had a forgettable outing. It did not help that they were let down by their fielders on multiple occasions.

That period of tight bowling threatened to disrupt South Africa’s momentum but van der Dussen (52) and Aiden Markram (52*) weathered the pressure and counter-attacked skillfully in the middle overs. Markram went after Noor and Fazalhaq Farooqi (1/59) in the slog overs to push for a formidable total.

Eventually, the Proteas delivered a clinical performance with bat and ball to start their Champions Trophy campaign.

“We thought the surface would be a bit tacky, but it played alright. The bounce was a bit inconsistent but we worked our way through it,” said player of the match Rickelton. “Disappointing to get out, especially in that manner. Was looking to pull the trigger after that, but the guys who came in after did that and we managed to pick up a few extra boundaries.”

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