On This Day – South Africa Outclass Sri Lanka to Begin ICC Champions Trophy Campaign with a Victory

South Africa set a strong 299/6, powered by Hashim Amla’s elegant 103 and Faf du Plessis’ gritty 75. Sri Lanka’s reply never gained momentum, collapsing to 203 in 41.3 overs. Imran Tahir’s crafty 4/27 and Kagiso Rabada’s fiery pace overwhelmed their batting lineup. South Africa’s sharp fielding and disciplined bowling sealed a commanding 96-run victory. Let’s revisit how South Africa dominated the game to begin their Champions Trophy journey with a solid win.

South Africa vs Sri Lanka: 3rd June 2017

In the ICC Champions Trophy on June 3, 2017, South Africa took on Sri Lanka in a Group B showdown at The Oval, London, and walked away with a convincing 96-run win. South Africa posted a strong 299/6 in their 50 overs, thanks to Hashim Amla’s brilliant 103 and Faf du Plessis’ fiery 75. Sri Lanka, chasing 300, fell apart at 203 in 41.3 overs, undone by Imran Tahir’s magical 4/27, which earned him Player of the Match.

South Africa’s batting was a mix of class, aggression, and a late surge that powered them to 299/6 in 50 overs. Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl, hoping to exploit early conditions, but South Africa navigated the pitch’s initial challenges to finish with a run rate of 5.98. Hashim Amla was the cornerstone, scoring a masterful 103 off 115 balls with five fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 89.56. His 25th ODI century, reached in 112 balls, was a record for the fewest innings to that milestone, showcasing his brilliance and Amla’s innings was all about timing, mixing caution with crisp lofted shots, especially against spin, as he targeted the shorter boundary with precision.

South Africa kicked things off nice and steady, reaching 32/0 by the end of the first Powerplay (overs 1-10). Quinton de Kock took his time, playing second fiddle to Hashim Amla with a patient 23 off 42 balls, stroking a couple of fours at a strike rate of 54.76. His innings ended in the 12th over when he edged Nuwan Pradeep to the keeper, Niroshan Dickwella, leaving the score at 44/1.

In came Faf du Plessis, and boy, did he and Amla light it up! They put on a massive 145 runs for the second wicket in just 88 balls. Faf was on fire, cracking 75 off 70 balls with six fours (strike rate 107.14), reaching his fifty in 52 balls with some gorgeous cover drives and smart shot-making. Amla wasn’t far behind, bringing up his fifty off 56 balls with three fours and a six and by the 21st over, they’d hit 100/1, and by the 30th, they were cruising at 163/1, looking unstoppable.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers were scratching their heads. Lasith Malinga had a rough day, leaking 57 runs without a wicket, and Asela Gunaratne got hammered for 64 runs with nothing to show for it. Pradeep finally gave Sri Lanka a breather in the 33rd over, getting Faf caught by Dinesh Chandimal. He struck again in the 34th over, sending AB de Villiers packing for just 4 off 4 balls, caught by Chamara Kapugedera, leaving South Africa at 194/3. David Miller chipped in with a quick 18 off 22 balls, including a four and a six, before Suranga Lakmal got him in the 41st over. Then came a blow as Amla, who played a gem of an innings for 103, got run out in the 42nd over thanks to a sharp throw from Kusal Mendis, leaving them at 103. 232/5.

The fireworks weren’t done, though. Jean-Paul Duminy came in and went berserk, smashing an unbeaten 38 off just 20 balls with five fours and a six, at a strike rate of 190.00. Chris Morris joined the party, adding 20 off 19 balls with three fours. Together, they blasted 45 runs for the sixth wicket in just 25 balls, pushing South Africa to 277/6 by the 47th over. Wayne Parnell chipped in with an unbeaten 7 off 8 balls to wrap things up, with the team crossing 250 in the 44th over.

Pradeep (2/54) and Lakmal (1/51) did their best to keep Sri Lanka in the fight with the ball, but Seekkuge Prasanna’s 1/72 got hammered, and Malinga just couldn’t find his spark. South Africa made them pay, smashing 22 fours and four sixes. The third Power Play (overs 41-50) was a nightmare for Sri Lanka, leaking 78 runs for just three wickets. Amla’s classy century, Du Plessis’ stylish strokeplay, and Duminy’s late fireworks set a daunting target of 300.

Sri Lanka’s chase of 300 kicked off with some fire but fizzled out fast, as they crumbled to 203 all out in 41.3 overs, falling 96 runs short. Imran Tahir was the wrecking ball, tearing through with a brilliant 4/27 in 8.3 overs to snag Player of the Match. South Africa’s bowlers, backed by some electric catches in the field, ran riot, keeping Sri Lanka’s run rate down to a measly 4.89. Kusal Perera stood tall, grafting an unbeaten 44 off 66 balls with five fours, but it was a lone battle. The rest of the batting lineup threw it away with sloppy shots and a couple of brainless run-outs.

Sri Lanka came out guns blazing in the first Powerplay, smashing 87/1 in the first 10 overs. Niroshan Dickwella was on fire, cracking 41 off 33 balls with five fours and a huge six, going at a strike rate of 124.24. He and Upul Tharanga got the crowd buzzing, racing to a 50-run opening stand in just 41 balls.

Dickwella even lofted a six off Morne Morkel, but Morkel got him back, caught by Wayne Parnell in the eighth over. Kusal Mendis kept the tempo up, smacking 11 off 10 with a couple of crisp fours, until Chris Morris had him nabbed by AB de Villiers in the 11th over, leaving Sri Lanka at 94/2. Tharanga, stepping up as stand-in captain, played a steady hand with 57 off 69 balls, stroking six fours at a strike rate of 82.60, hitting his fifty in 59 balls. But then Imran Tahir came on and flipped the script, getting Tharanga caught by David Miller in the 25th over, and that’s when things started unravelling.

Dinesh Chandimal scratched around for 12 off 21, and Chamara Kapugedera got a duck, trapped lbw by Tahir in the 17th over—Sri Lanka were suddenly 117/4 and wobbling and Asela Gunaratne couldn’t get going, scratching out 4 off 13 before Tahir had him caught by Parnell in the 29th over, leaving them at 155/6 and Seekkuge Prasanna tried to fight back with a quick 13 off 20, including a big six, but Morris pinned him lbw in the 37th over after a review went nowhere. Suranga Lakmal was run out for nothing, and Lasith Malinga got bowled by Kagiso Rabada for just 1 off 2. Nuwan Pradeep hung around for 5 off 12, but Tahir finished it off in the 41st over, getting him caught by JP Duminy. Thisara Perera’s gritty 44 was a lone bright spot, but South Africa’s bowlers were just too good.

South Africa’s attack was on point. Tahir was the star, ripping through with 4/27, while Morris (2/32) and Morkel (1/31) hit them hard early. Rabada’s 1/46 and Parnell’s 0/54 kept the screws tight, and Duminy chipped in with a tidy 0/7 in two overs. Sri Lanka’s 15 extras—eight wides, a no-ball, and six leg-byes—didn’t help, and despite 19 boundaries (15 fours, four sixes), South Africa’s fielders stole the show with three absolute screamers. The second Powerplay (overs 11-40) saw 107 runs but eight wickets fall, and the third Power Play added just nine runs for the last wicket.