Champions Trophy: Rickelton's maiden ton guides South Africa to commanding win over debutants Afghanistan

Karachi: The debut match for Afghanistan in the ICC Champions Trophy turned out to be something that they won't cherish for a long time. Former champions South Africa crushed Afghanistan in the opening match of Group B with a commanding 102-run win. 

South African captain Temba Bavuma's decision to bat first was well received by the Proteas' batsmen who went on to score a massive total of 315 runs. This was helped by the maiden-century knock from Ryan Rickelton, who played his first major ICC tournament. 

Mohammad Nabi gave Afghan an early break in the fifth over, dismissing Tony de Zorzi for 11 runs. But the 129-run partnership between captain Bavuma and Rickelton set the stage for South Africa's dominance throughout the game. The duo faced Afghan bowlers with caution, but Nabi again struck to give Afghan a much needed relief. He claimed Bavuma's wicket in the 28th over after the Proteas captain added 58 runs to the scoreboard. 

The contributions from Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen prevented Afgan spinners from controlling the run rate. Van der Dussen scored 52 runs while Markram's unbeaten knock of 52 fired South Africa to a massive total, much beyond Afghanistan's grasp. 

Chasing 316 runs, 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.

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 and Sediqullah Atal struggled to find momentum and were dismissed in the span of 5 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. Despite his efforts, the required run rate kept climbing, making the chase increasingly improbable.

Rashid Khan, who came to bat in the 34th over, gave Afghan fans a ray of hope, smashing his first ball over deep point for six before following up with another big hit over mid-on. However Keshav 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.

Brief scores: South Africa 315/6 in 50 overs (Ryan Rickelton 103, Temba Bavuma 58, Van der Dussen 52, Aiden Markram 52 not out; 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

(With inputs from IANS)