ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Sri Lanka vs South Africa, 5 Talking Points
South Africa comfortably beat Sri Lanka in their first league game of Champions Trophy 2017. The centurion, Hashim Amla and Imran Tahir, who won the Man of the Match award, were the stars of the day for South Africa.
Earlier in the day, the Islanders won the toss and elected to bowl first, looking to exploit the conditions on offer. However, the Proteas openers saw off the new ball to ease things for the batsman to come. Although Quinton de Kock fell cheaply, the Faf du Plessis and Amla duo put on a brilliant partnership for the second wicket.
However, Sri Lanka pulled things back brilliantly in the middle overs by picking wickets at regular intervals. But, a late blitz from JP Duminy propelled the total to 299, which was a competitive target on the slightly sluggish Oval wicket.
Extra Cover: ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Sri Lanka vs South Africa, 5 things Sri Lanka did wrong
Sri Lanka started their chase brilliantly as both the openers scored at a brisk pace. But a flurry of wickets derailed the chase and the AB de Villiiers-led side completed the formalities in the 42nd over.
Here are 5 talking points from the game.
#1 Hashim Amla’s purple patch
The classy right-hander was at his best during his match-defining hundred (103 off 115) as he punched, flicked and pulled the bowlers for fun. On what was a slightly tricky wicket, Amla played a very calculated innings to help his team post a good score on the board.
What was particularly impressive was the way Amla ran between the wickets. While scoring boundaries was tough early on, the right-hander worked the ball into the gaps and put the deep fielders under pressure constantly. He has been in great form and this masterfully constructed hundred was the perfect way to start the tournament.