Champions Trophy: Rickelton, Rabada star in SA’s dominant 10
Champions Trophy: Rickelton, Rabada star in SA’s dominant 107-run win over Afghanistan
South Africa began their ICC Champions Trophy campaign in dominant fashion, securing a convincing 107-run victory over Afghanistan in a Group B encounter at the National Stadium
KARACHI — South
Africa began their ICC Champions Trophy campaign in dominant fashion, securing
a convincing 107-run victory over Afghanistan in a Group B encounter at the
National Stadium. A maiden ODI century from Ryan Rickelton and a clinical
bowling display ensured South Africa snapped their recent ODI losing streak in
emphatic fashion.
This was the highest match aggregate (523) involving South
Africa & Afghanistan in ODIs
Batting first, South Africa posted a competitive 315/6,
thanks to a superb 103 from opener Ryan Rickelton. The left-hander, in sublime
form following his stellar performances in SA20 and the New Year’s Test against
Pakistan, anchored the innings with a well-paced knock. Supported by
half-centuries from captain Temba Bavuma (58), Rassie van der Dussen (50), and
Aiden Markram (52*), the Proteas built a formidable total.
Rickelton and Bavuma laid a strong foundation with a 129-run
after-opening collapse. Bavuma, initially cautious, grew into his innings
before falling for 58 to Mohammad Nabi while trying to accelerate. Rickelton
reached his hundred in 106 balls before departing soon after, leaving the
middle order to capitalize. Despite Afghanistan’s spinners pulling things back
in the middle overs, late contributions from Markram and David Miller ensured
South Africa reached a total that proved beyond Afghanistan’s grasp.
Set a challenging target of 316, Afghanistan never gained
momentum as South Africa’s pacers dictated terms from the outset. Marco Jansen
and Lungi Ngidi set the tone with disciplined lines and sharp bounce, putting
Afghanistan under early pressure. Unlike previous matches where the Karachi
pitch offered some swing under the lights, the surface remained placid,
requiring the fast bowlers to adapt with back-of-a-length deliveries and short
balls.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz had a rough start, taking a painful blow
from Jansen before falling for 10 to a well-directed short ball by Ngidi in the
fifth over. Ibrahim Zadran attempted to break the shackles with a six off
Rabada but was soon undone by a fiery 148.3 kph delivery that sent his middle
stump cartwheeling. Sediqullah Atal struggled during his stay, beaten ten times
in his 32-ball innings before falling victim to a brilliant piece of fielding
from Jansen, who effected a direct hit at mid-on. Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi
followed suit four balls later, miscuing a shot off Wiaan Mulder to mid-on,
leaving Afghanistan in dire straits at 51/4 after 15 overs.
A brief resistance came through Azmatullah Omarzai and
Rahmat Shah, who tried to steady the ship. However, Rabada’s return in the 22nd
over resulted in Omarzai’s dismissal for 18, gloving a short ball to the
keeper. Meanwhile, Rahmat Shah stood firm, playing an anchoring role to keep
Afghanistan’s hopes alive. He brought up a fighting half-century off 62 balls,
displaying remarkable control and composure despite wickets tumbling at the
other end.
Even as South Africa maintained relentless pressure, Rahmat
continued to accumulate runs, dispatching boundaries when given the
opportunity. His milestone moment arrived with a well-placed flick between
mid-on and midwicket. Despite his efforts, the required run rate kept climbing,
making the chase increasingly improbable.
The atmosphere in Karachi reached a fever pitch when Rashid
Khan walked out to bat. The crowd favorite wasted no time, smashing his first
ball over deep point for six before following up with another big hit over
mid-on. He then took on Keshav Maharaj, slamming back-to-back fours in an
electrifying cameo. However, the high-risk approach backfired as Maharaj
eventually had him caught at midwicket, bringing an end to his brief yet
entertaining 18-run knock off 13 balls.
Rahmat Shah continued fighting till the end, launching four
consecutive boundaries in a last-ditch effort. However, wickets kept falling
around him, and he was eventually the last man dismissed for 90 as Afghanistan
were bowled out for 208 in 43.3 overs. South Africa’s bowling unit was
clinical, with Rabada leading the way with three wickets, while Ngidi and
Mulder chipped in with two each.
It was a comprehensive victory for South Africa, marking a
strong start to their Champions Trophy campaign. Their batting was anchored by
Rickelton’s century, while their pacers executed a disciplined plan to
dismantle Afghanistan’s lineup. For Afghanistan, Rahmat Shah’s valiant 90 was
the only silver lining in an otherwise disappointing outing.
Brief scores: South Africa 315/6 in 50 overs (Ryan Rickelton
103, Temba Bavuma 58; Mohammad Nabi 2-51, Fazalhaq Farooqi 1-59) beat
Afghanistan 208 all out in 43.2 overs (Rahmat Shah 90, Rashid Khan 18; Kagiso
Rabada 3-36, Wiaan Mulder 2-36) by 107 runs
