ICC Champions Trophy: Rickelton shines as South Africa downs Afghanistan

By our Special Correspondent

Ryan Rickelton became the second South African batter, after Gary Kirsten, to score a century on debut in an ICC tournament as South Africa began its Champions Trophy campaign with a convincing 107-run victory against Afghanistan.

At the National Stadium on Friday, the young Rickelton justified his team’s decision to bat first with a mature innings. He kept the scoreboard ticking with singles and boundaries, to guide South Africa to 315 for 6 - a target that was far from Afghanistan’s reach, despite Rahmat Shah’s 92-ball-90.