Imran Tahir, Hashim Amla script big win as South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 96 runs in ICC Champions Trophy 2017

With this win, South Africa not just pocketed 2 valuable points, but also stretched their winning streak over Sri Lanka to 8 in a row since World Cup 2015.

Tahir returned with figures of 4 for 27 in his 8.3 overs’ spell and earned the Man of the Match award © Getty Images

Failure to sustain momentum, both while batting and bowling, cost Sri Lanka their opening Group B fixture against South Africa at The Oval in London on Saturday. When they bowled, they allowed South Africa to score just 32 runs in first 10 overs, but later allowed them to get off the hook and post a daunting 299. Similarly, when they batted, they smashed 87 from their first 10 overs, only to let the momentum fizzle out quickly by getting bowled out for 203. With this win, South Africa not just pocketed 2 valuable points, but also stretched their winning streak over Sri Lanka to 8 in a row since World Cup 2015. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD, Sri Lanka vs South Africa – Match 3

Chasing a challenging 300 to win, Sri Lanka were off to a flying start, courtesy Niroshan Dickwella. The exciting wicketkeeper-batsman, who shows glimpses of batting almost in the Sanath Jayasuriya mould, went after the South African bowling in pursuit of the big total. He was severe to both Wayne Parnell as well as Kagiso Rabada, hitting them for boundaries all over the park. Dickwella brought up Sri Lanka’s fifty in style, in just the seventh over, by hitting Rabada for a six over midwicket.

This is when AB de Villiers introduced the experienced Morne Morkel into the attack, and the senior player did not disappoint. Morkel got Dickwella caught at the third man on the second ball of his spell, ending the high-flying partnership. Dickwella had done his job though, scoring a brisk 41 off 33 balls. Kusal Mendis came in and hit a couple of fours, but he was sent back early by Chris Morris in his very first over. De Villiers, who did not do much with the bat, took a one-handed stunner at short midwicket to get rid of him.

The South African captain was not done yet, as his direct hit to remove Dinesh Chandimal earned South Africa the next wicket as well. Then came Imran Tahir, Sri Lanka’s destroyer-in-chief, who rocked the Asian nation with three wickets in the middle overs. He first sent back Chamara Kapugedara for nought in his first over, then removed a well-set Upul Tharanga (57) and Asela Gunaratne (4) in quick succession.

Sri Lanka could not recover from these blows and kept losing wickets, to eventually fold up for 203 in 41.2 overs. Morris and Rabada returned to wrap up the Lankan innings before Tahir dealt with the final blow and secure a 96-run win. Kusal Perera remained unbeaten on 44. Tahir pocketed 4 wickets conceding 27 runs from his 8.3 overs as well as the Man of the Match award.

Earlier, South African run-machine Hashim Amla kept up with the trend of at least one hundred being scored in every game of Champions Trophy 2017 so far. Tamim Iqbal and Joe Root did it on day one, Kane Williamson did so on day two and Amla did it today. After being put in to bat first in conditions favourable for batting, South Africa had a rather subdued start, with Sri Lankan pacers bowling as many as 40 dot balls in first 10 overs and keeping things tight.

Quinton de Kock did not fire today, falling for 42-ball 23. Amla then stitched-up a 145-run second-wicket stand with Faf du Plessis (75) to set the foundation of a good total. Amla was sublime, scoring his 25th ODI hundred — becoming fastest to the landmark by bettering Virat Kohli’s record by 11 innings. Du Plessis, who got a reprieve when on 8, punished Sri Lankans for the costly error by adding 67 more runs. Sri Lanka also paid for not having a proper fourth bowler in the side, with Gunaratne and Seekkuge Prasanna, who bowled 20 overs between them, failing to sustain the pressure created by the pacers.

South Africa then lost a few quick wickets towards the end, but an out-of-form JP Duminy scored a quick-fire unbeaten 20-ball 38 to propel the score to 299.

Brief scores:

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South Africa 299 for 6 (Hashim Amla 103, Faf du Plessis 75, JP Duminy 38*; Nuwan Pradeep 2 for 54, Suranga Lakmal 1 for 51, Seekkuge Prasanna 1 for 72) beat Sri Lanka 203 all-out in 41.3 overs (Upul Tharanga 57, Kusal Perera 44*, Niroshan Dickwella 41; Imran Tahir 4 for 27, Chris Morris 2 for 32) by 96 runs.