Rickelton scores maiden ODI century as South Africa crush Afghanistan

South Africa scored 315 runs for the loss of 6 wickets, with Rickelton scoring 103 runs, Bavuma 58 runs, Makram unbeaten on 52, and van der Dussen also scoring 52 runs. Afghanistan managed to score 208 runs, with Rahmat contributing 90 runs. South Africa's bowlers Rabada took 3 wickets for 36 runs, Mulder took 2 wickets for 36 runs, and Ngidi took 2 wickets for 56 runs. South Africa won the match by 107 runs.

Ryan Rickelton is showing the value of runs under the belt. He came into the Champions Trophy on the back of a solid SA20, where he was the fourth-highest scorer. Before that, he had smoked 259 in the New Year's Test against Pakistan. On Friday, it was time for him to leave his mark on the 50-over format as he piled on his maiden ODI century in his seventh game as South Africa began their Champions Trophy with a solid 107-run win over Afghanistan.

Batting first on a Karachi surface that had a nice layer of grass, South Africa rode on Rickelton's 103 followed by steady fifties from Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram to rack up 315 for 6. That meant for Afghanistan to win on Champions Trophy debut, they had to record their highest-ever successful chase.

But they never really got close. Rahmat Shah was the only bright spot as he scored a sprightly 90 off 92 balls, and was the last batter to fall. But with a second-highest score of 18, Afghanistan were never really in it. Kagiso Rabada picked up three wickets, while Lungi Ngidi and Wiaan Mulder got two each as Afghanistan were bundled out for 208 in 43.3 overs.

It was a largely flawless innings from Rickelton from start to finish. He never looked rushed; not when Tony de Zorzi fell early or when Bavuma took his time to get going. Rickelton struck boundaries whenever he got a chance. When he didn't, he quietly rotated the strike. He started with a lovely punch past mid-off third ball before going back-to-back against Fazalhaq Farooqi in the fifth over, once with a fierce pull through midwicket and then a cut past point.

De Zorzi also struck two fours but fell to a rather nonchalant delivery from Mohammad Nabi. Introduced in the attack in the sixth over, Nabi's first ball was a drag-down on off stump. De Zorzi could have walloped that anywhere; instead, he flopped it straight to mid-on.

Bavuma walked in at No. 3 and took his time to settle in. His first 19 balls yielded only seven runs before he got a couple of fours away to get into the groove. Rickelton, meanwhile, picked Azmatullah Omarzai for two delightful fours to raise his fifty off just 48 balls.

South Africa ticked along to 83 for 1 after 15 overs, but an important passage of play was about to come: South Africa batters vs Afghanistan's spinners. That's where Rickelton really showed his wares. With both him and Rashid Khan part of MI Cape Town in the SA20, he would have faced a lot of Rashid in the nets, and that experience showed.

Between overs 11 and 20, South Africa scored 58 runs without taking much of a risk. Bavuma, too, got to his fifty, only his second away from home, as he continued his rich form. He had a solid 129-run stand for the second wicket with Rickelton, before holing out to deep midwicket as Nabi picked his second wicket.

By that time, Rickelton had moved into his 90s, and had hardly broken a sweat in doing so. Afghanistan hardly helped themselves in the field, too. There were innumerable misfields, and a run-out chance was fluffed, while Noor Ahmad was particularly off-colour. He was either too short, or too full, and often tried to dart the ball in and lost his shape.

Rickelton strolled through his 90s and became the first South Africa batter to register a century on Champions Trophy debut with a push to long-off.

Full report to follow...