SL VS RSA - 3rd Match, Group B, ICC Champions Trophy, 2017

So Sri Lanka's spirited show lasted only as long as keeping South Africa under 300 and then a good batting show at the start. Things went downhill, and quickly, as Tahir cut through the middle order. That ends the day on an expected note. So what do we have tomorrow: perhaps a weaker heart, clogged throats and the joy of India-Pakistan! We are building up #IndoPak from 1:00pm IST tomorrow. Do join us for that. For now, this is Pratyush Sinha taking leave on behalf of Pradeep, Abhishek Chaudhary and Naga. Much love to Raju Peethala. Until tomorrow, ta-ta!

Stats round-up:

HASHIM AMLA - First South African batsman to reach the landmark of 25 ODI hundreds. 151 innings by him are the fewest by any player to the landmark (Previous: 162 by Kohli). Amla is also is the fourth player to score 25 or more hundreds in both Tests & ODIs after Tendulkar, Ponting and Sangakkara.
Fastest five ODI hundreds vs a particular opposition:
-- 09 Q de Kock v Ind
-- 14 H Amla v WI
-- 15 H AMLA v SL *
-- 18 Salman Butt v Ind
-- 19 AB de Villiers v WI
Four-fers in all three ICC events (WC, WT20 & CT):
-- Shahid Afridi
-- Zaheer Khan
-- Lasith Malinga
-- IMRAN TAHIR
Biggest losing margins for SL in CT (by runs):
-- 96 v SA, Oval, 2017 *
-- 92 v SA, Dhaka, 1998
-- 78 v SA, Ahmedabad, 2006
Note- All have come against SA
South Africa have now beaten Sri Lanka in eight successive ODIs. In the last ten ODIs b/w the two teams, Sri Lanka got bowled out nine times.

De Villiers - captain, SA: "Wasn't as true a wicket as the England-Bangladesh game. I was pretty happy about our total. Probably possible to chase it down but we needed a few early wickets, which we got. It's important to assess the first 10-15 overs. Credit to them; their bowlers bowled very well. And credit to the openers for sticking it out there. Faf then came out and played a beautiful knock. It's scary the amount of runs Amla has piled on in his short career. He's got many years to come, hopefully for us. Such a team man. Contributes a lot in the changing room too. It's a difficult one (on why Tahir came late). You have to read the situation and the conditions out there. I felt it was important for him to start a little late today. There's no set plan. It comes down to good feeling in the gut. Good that he's the top ranked bowler, so I can bowl him anytime. Lot of focus on the fielding in the last few weeks. And it showed today. What pleased me today is that we competed every single ball - that's what a champion team is all about. We have Pakistan at Edgbaston next. We played them there at the last CT. The wicket's pretty good there, as we saw in the Aus-NZ game. We will see what plans will work against them. There are a lot of challenges as a captain: firstly I would like to score runs and lead by example. We do have a fantastic balance, so I will say that getting team selection right before every game in this tournament is a challenge."

Tharanga - captain, SL: "I think we bowled well at the start. Bowlers came back strongly after the Hashim-Faf partnership. Under 300 is a good effort. We couldn't get wickets in the middle overs. Maybe Sandakan can be useful in the next game. We bowled well in the first 10-15 overs, but didn't get many wickets. We play against India and we have to come back strongly, especially in the batting to get the big scores. We played some loose shots today."

Harsha Bhogle: What a change Imran Tahir's leg spin has brought to South Africa's attack. Like a different flavour to the staple dish of quality seam-up.

Imran Tahir - Man of the Match: 'I am enjoying my cricket, feel honoured to wear this jersey and playing for South Africa. I have been working hard and hope to carry my form deeper into the competition. I think AB knew the situation, I was always ready to bowl. Our guys tried hard upfront, but their openers played really well, credit goes to them. I had some plans and it worked out well, pleased with the way the ball came out of my hand today, I had watched a bit of England-Bangladesh game and thought there wouldn't be any help for me from the pitch. But my variations worked well on this track. I don't practice my celebrations and running, but if that's my speed (24 kmph - while celebrating his wicket), then it's really good. Thanks for all the people who supported me, I had a niggle last week and am thankful to the support I got from everyone. We have a good environment in our team, great way to start the tournament.'

It was anybody's game till then, until Tahir, so long held back by ABD who seemed to be showing no confidence in his leggie, came in. An AB-manufactured run out of Chandimal and then Kapugedera's lbw in his first over set the collapse up. The running between the wickets degraded after the over, Sri Lanka's self-belief too, summed by Tharanga's wicket on 57. With the captain gone, it looked a ticking timebomb and so the match proved to be.

Harsha Bhogle: We've been watching a lot of T20 recently. Big difference with ODIs is the need for batting depth. Will be tested here.

06:22pm local: Now when Rabada dropped both the openers off his own bowling, omens had a chance. Sri Lanka had too, and then Dickwella got going, laying into Parnell's first spell. Bowling changes then worked for de Villiers. Morne Morkel struck in his first over to take down big-hitting Dickwella, and then Morris took over, joining hands with a stunning ABD catch to scalp Kusal Mendis.

Tahir to Pradeep, out Caught by Duminy!! South Africa win by 96 runs. Tahir goes full after that long-hop googly, is slog-swept but Pradeep gets it straighter. Pin-finds Duminy at long-off. Pradeep c Duminy b Tahir 5(12) [4s-1]

Tahir to Pradeep, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Tahir to Pradeep, no run, shortish googly that should have been smoked but Pradeep manages a defence off his glove. Pops it but no one close-in in front

A slip

Tahir to Pradeep, no run, length ball, turning a touch and blocked off the back foot

Imran Tahir [8.0-0-27-3] is back into the attack

Tahir back to bowl his googlies

Rabada to Kusal Perera, FOUR, barreled down through straight mid-off. Made room, sees a full ball and poof, Sri Lanka last a ball more. Umm, 97 needed..

Rabada to Kusal Perera, no run, pacy bouncer this. Gould signals one for the over. And Kusal Perera invited that, by trying to make the room too early. Couldn't even periscope this over through the third man region, so quick this was

Rabada to Pradeep, 1 run, no room, but the length's full and the ball lifted through covers again

Rabada to Pradeep, FOUR, had the room made early, Rabada goes straight, and Pradeep manages to force it, off the outside half, over covers. Boundary

Rabada to Pradeep, no run, follows him with a short ball and beats the pull, as Pradeep shuffles down leg. Full, at the stumps, and you'd have closed the browser. So quit the app. So good for us

Rabada to Pradeep, no run, isn't reading anything. And then tries to dabble at a back of a length delivery late, aiming a third man steer, and misses