ICC Champions Trophy 2025: South Africa Beats Afghanistan with Ryan Rickelton's Century
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The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has already seen a plethora of runs being scored, with the tournament witnessing a record number of centuries in its first three games. South Africa's Ryan Rickelton scored a century, his 103 helping his team total 315/6 and dismiss Afghanistan for 208. This feat was the fifth century scored in the tournament, surpassing the previous record for the most hundreds in the first three matches of the Champions Trophy or men's World Cup.
The conditions in Pakistan have been deemed batter-friendly, with the pitches and outfields favoring the batsmen. However, Rickelton emphasized that the runs don't score themselves and that execution is key. The surface in Karachi, where the match was played, was unusually well-grassed for the subcontinent and cracked, making it a challenging pitch to bat on. Rassie van der Dussen compared it to a "day-three pitch at the Wanderers", highlighting its uniqueness. The fast outfields and cozy boundaries in Pakistan have also contributed to the high scoring rates, making it an exciting tournament for batsmen.
The list of centuries scored in the tournament so far includes:
- Shubman Gill's unbeaten 101 for India
- Towhid Hridoy's 100 for Bangladesh
- Will Young's 107 for New Zealand
- Tom Latham's 118 not out for New Zealand
- Ryan Rickelton's 103 for South Africa
The tournament has seen a total of 16 instances of teams scoring 300 or more in ODIs in Pakistan since international cricket returned to the country in 2019. The batting average in Pakistan has been the highest in the world during this period, with batters averaging 34.91. The bowlers, on the other hand, have averaged 38.85, the highest in the world. The trend of high scoring in the Champions Trophy is not new, with previous editions of the tournament also seeing a large number of centuries. The T20 revolution has also contributed to the increase in scoring rates, with batsmen becoming more aggressive and innovative in their approach.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting tournament, with teams looking to make the most of the batting-friendly conditions. With the tournament still in its early stages, fans can expect to see more high-scoring matches and exciting cricket. The players are aware that the next game is the most important one, and they will look to make the most of the opportunities that come their way. As Hashmatullah Shahidi said after Friday's loss, "Whatever we did wrong, we will forget about it and put it in the bin." The focus will be on the next match, and the teams will look to put in their best performance to stay in contention for the title.
afghanistan africa south cricket rickelton national ryan century icc trophy
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