In an impressive display, opener Ryan Rickelton notched his first ODI century, scoring 103 runs, while half-centuries from captain Temba Bavuma (58), Rassie van der Dussen (52), and Aiden Markram (52 not out) led South Africa to a total of 315/6 in their 50 overs against Afghanistan during the ICC Champions Trophy Group B match at the National Stadium.

South Africa’s squad for this game was without both Heinrich Klaasen and Tristan Stubbs. Cricket South Africa (CSA) later announced that Klaasen was resting due to a soft tissue injury in his left elbow, while Stubbs was unlikely to have been part of the initial starting XI.

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Choosing to bat first, South Africa had a cautious start as Afghan bowlers Fazalhaq Farooqi and Azmatullah Omarzai extracted significant movement from the pitch. Tony de Zorzi struggled early and was dismissed by Mohammad Nabi for just 11 runs after miscuing a drive that landed in mid-on’s hands. With the early wicket, Bavuma joined Rickelton at the crease, and the pair worked diligently through the tricky conditions.

Rickelton, coming off standout performances in the SA20 and the New Year’s Test against Pakistan, displayed excellent form. He effectively rotated the strike and punished loose balls, bringing up his half-century in just 48 balls. Bavuma, initially cautious, settled into his innings, keeping South Africa’s run rate steady. Together, they built a significant 129-run partnership, testing Afghanistan’s bowlers throughout.

The introduction of spin gave Afghanistan a brief reprieve, with Mohammad Nabi taking a key wicket as Bavuma, looking to accelerate, mistimed a shot to deep midwicket and was out for 58 off 76 balls. Despite this, Rickelton stayed steady, crafting a commanding innings. His hundred—his first in ODIs—was achieved stylishly, making him the first South African to score a century on his Champions Trophy debut, joining the ranks of Gary Kirsten, who scored 188* against the UAE in the 1996 World Cup.

However, Rickelton’s innings concluded dramatically; while fielding off his own bowling, Rashid Khan executed a direct hit, catching Rickelton short of his crease as Rahmanullah Gurbaz uprooted the bails. He returned to the pavilion after a magnificent 103 runs from 106 balls, hitting seven boundaries and a six.

With Rickelton’s exit, Afghanistan aimed to curb South Africa’s scoring, with Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi keeping things tight. Noor Ahmad struggled with his lengths, leading to a slowdown in the middle overs where South Africa could only manage 30 runs from overs 32 to 39.

At a crucial juncture in the innings, Rassie van der Dussen injected much-needed momentum. After a prolonged lean patch with just 104 runs in his previous six innings, he took full advantage of Klaasen’s absence. After a cautious start, he found his groove and launched an aggressive counterattack against Afghanistan’s leading spinner. Rashid Khan felt the brunt of Van der Dussen’s onslaught, conceding runs through powerful cuts and powerful slog shots into the midwicket. Just as it seemed he would score more, Noor Ahmad dismissed him for 52 runs off 46 balls, but he had already put South Africa back on track.

Aiden Markram, who had initially struggled for timing, switched gears in the death overs to finish strongly for South Africa. A crucial moment came in the 46th over when he hit Farooqi inside out, followed by back-to-back boundaries—one four and one six—off Noor Ahmad. He further dismantled Farooqi in the 48th over with three consecutive sixes.

Even though David Miller fell victim to an exceptional diving catch by Rahmat Shah at deep midwicket, Markram maintained South Africa’s momentum. Marco Jansen was bowled by Omarzai in the final moments, but by then, the Proteas had amassed a formidable total. Markram’s unbeaten 52 runs off 43 balls were crucial in the latter overs, as South Africa piled on essential runs in the closing stages.

Although Afghanistan’s bowlers had their moments, they struggled to control the scoring rate in the death overs. Mohammad Nabi was the standout bowler with figures of 2-51, while Farooqi, Omarzai, and Noor Ahmad each claimed a wicket. Rashid Khan, despite not taking any wickets, bowled economically.

Summary of scores: South Africa 315/6 in 50 overs (Ryan Rickelton 103, Temba Bavuma 58; Mohammad Nabi 2-51, Fazalhaq Farooqi 1-59) against Afghanistan.