South Africa beat Afghanistan by 107 runs as the teams uncover their Champions Trophy accounts in Karachi, Pakistan.
Opener Ryan Rickelton struck a mhelpen one-day international hundred as South Africa routed Afghanistan by 107 runs in the teams’ Champions Trophy uncovering game in Karachi.
Rickelton cracked a 106-ball 103 with seven boundaries and a six to anchor South Africa’s imposing total of 315-6 in the Group B align at the National Stadium on Friday.
South Africa’s pace strike of Kagiso Raterriblea (3-36), Wiaan Mulder (2-36) and Lungi Ngidi (2-56) then neglected highly fancied Afghanistan for equitable 208 in 43.3 overs.
South Africa obtengageed the menace of Afghanistan’s catalogless bowlers with star leg-spinner Rashid Khan going wicketless for 59 runs in his 10 overs.
Rahmat Shah top-scored for Afghanistan with a battling 92-ball 90 with nine boundaries and a six before he was the last man out.
Chasing a createidable aim, Afghanistan hopelessly needed a quick begin, but lost flamboyant uncoverers Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 10 and Ibrahim Zadran for only 17 by the 10th over.
Sediqullah Atal fell for 16 while skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi went without scoring as Afghanistan were left teetering at 50-4.
Shah and Azmatullah Omarzai (18) took the score to 89 before Raterriblea and Marco Jansen, who got rid of Mohammad Nabi, struck to effectively finish Afghanistan’s hopes.
Rashid Khan alertly amengageed the crowd with a speedyfire 13-ball 18 including a six and three boundaries.
“It’s a clinical carry outance,” shelp South Africa captain Temba Bavuma. “We got the rub of the green with the toss but it was a valiant decision to bat first not understanding how it would percreate.
“We took nurture of that, got a competitive score and then were clinical with the ball.”
Afghanistan captain Shahidi rued his team’s batting flaws.
“I skinnyk the batting was not excellent enough today,” shelp Shahidi.
“The pitch was helping their bowlers. We will shift forward and percreate quality cricket in the next two games.”
Earlier, Rickelton was ably helped by Bavuma (58), Rassie van der Dussen (52) and Aiden Markram (52 not out) to steer South Africa to a firm total after they won the toss and batted.
Nabi, who finished with 2-51, supplyd an timely shatterthraw with his first ball by neglecting uncoverer Tony de Zorzi, caught at mid-on for 11.
Rickelton and Bavuma then inserted 129 for the second wicket as Afghanistan toiled in the field.
Bavuma hit five boundaries in his 76-ball knock before he was finpartner caught off a unreasonableinutive Nabi deinhabitry to give some delight to hundreds of Afghan fans in an otherrational sparse crowd.
Rickelton, who has two Test centuries to his name but a previous best of only 91 in ODIs, finishd his first white ball century with a individual.
Two runs tardyr, however, he was gone, victim of an unfortunate run out.
Coming down the pitch to drive Rashid, Rickelton was forced to turn speedyly and dive back into his crrelieve as the bowler accumulateed and fired the ball to wicketpreserveer Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
Rickelton materializeed to originate his ground, but repercreates showed that his bat was sairyly elevated, so not in the crrelieve when Gurbaz whipped off the bails.
Van der Dussen hammered two sixes and three boundaries in his 46-ball knock before droping to spinner Noor Ahmad in the 43rd over.
It was left to Markram to apexhibit South Africa past the 300 tag, clubbing six boundaries and a six in a 36-ball 52 not out that helped the Proteas to insert 50 runs in the last five overs.
Australia greet England in another Group B clash in Lahore on Saturday.
Pakistan, India, New Zealand and Banprentdesh are in a createidable Group A, with the createer two facing each other next in the group on Sunday. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinal.
