LONDON: Hashim Amla’s composed century set up a 96-run victory for South Africa over Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy on Saturday.
Amla’s 103 was backed up by Faf du Plessis’ 75 and JP Duminy’s 38 not out as South Africa posted 299-6.
Sri Lanka was bowled out for 203 in the 42nd over, legspinner Imran Tahir taking 4-27.
Sri Lanka fought back well after Amla’s and du Plessis’ 145-run second-wicket stand looked to have set South Africa up for a huge total. The Sri Lankans made a stunning start to their chase, but failed to get near its target despite a stunning start to its response.
Niroshan Dickwella and captain Upul Tharanga put on 68 runs in eight overs, but when Dickwella was caught off the bowling of Morne Morkel for 41 from 33 deliveries, the wickets never stopped falling.
Tharanga did his best to hold the innings together with a 69-ball 57, but the trickery of Tahir, introduced in the 18th over, proved too much as he dismissed the captain along with Chamara Kapugedera and Asela Gunaratne to turn the momentum.
From then on, the only resistance came from Kusal Perera’s 44 not out as Chris Morris picked up two wickets, and Kagiso Rabada got one as Sri Lanka was bowled out.
The final margin of victory was clear, but South Africa had to overcome a slow start to post it’s winning total, having been put into bat by Tharanga, who was standing in for injured skipper Angelo Mathews.
South Africa scored just 44 runs in 12 overs when Quinton de Kock was caught behind off Nuwan Pradeep, and the medium-pacer almost had his second wicket shortly after as du Plessis, on 8, skied a hook shot into the leg side.
The opportunity fell to Lasith Malinga, making his first ODI appearance in almost two years, but he lost his footing as he trod on the boundary rope before spilling the ball.
Malinga also failed to take a wicket in his 10 overs but, after all his injuries, he will be relieved to have come through the innings apparently unscathed.
Du Plessis went after the bowlers, allowing Amla to calmly reach his 25th ODI century, tied for fifth best all-time.
Amla, Tahir lead South Africa past Sri Lanka
Amla, Tahir lead South Africa past Sri Lanka
Marmoush, Salah strike as Egypt edge out holders Ivory Coast in quarter-final
- Egypt wasted little time in taking the lead as Marmoush scored in the fourth minute
- That set up a siege of the Egyptian goal in the final 15 minutes but they held out to advance
AGADIR, Morocco: Omar Marmoush netted the opener and Mohamed Salah scored the decisive goal as Egypt ended Ivory Coast’s reign with a narrow 3-2 triumph in Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final.
Center back Rami Rabia was the other scorer for the Egyptians, who had little possession at the Grande Stade Agadir but took their chances with clinical precision and held on grimly to book a semifinal meeting with Senegal on Wednesday.
An own goal from Ahmed Fatouh and a late effort by Guela Doue proved insufficient for the Ivory Coast, winners of the tournament on home soil two years ago but now deposed as African champions.
Egypt, who have won a record seven Cup of Nations titles, wasted little time in taking the lead as Marmoush scored in the fourth minute after Hamdi Fathy pinched the ball from Franck Kessie in the midfield, allowing Emam Ashour to thread a pinpoint ball to the sprinting Marmoush. He still needed to shrug off the attentions of defender Odilon Kossounou before slotting home.
But it quickly became clear the Ivorians were going to dominate possession, showing much more physical strength on the ball but without setting up clear chances.
Egypt went 2-0 up in the 32nd minute when Rabia rose above the defenders to head his side further ahead from a corner.
The Ivory Coast, who had 70 percent of possession in the first half, reduced the deficit eight minutes later when teenager Yann Diomande’s freekick near the corner took a slight brush off Kossounou’s head and ricocheted off the knee of full back Fatouh and into the net.
SALAH FINISHED OFF CLEVER MOVE
The Ivorians had come from 2-0 down to beat Gabon 3-2 earlier in the tournament but hopes of turning the scoreline around soon after the re-start were stymied by a simply created, but superbly finished, goal for Salah seven minutes after the break.
Rabia was well inside his own half when he chipped the ball over the top of the Ivorian defensive line, allowing Ashour to run onto it and hit an accurate pass with the outside of his right boot into the path of Salah to score.
An Ivorian comeback was still on when Doue touched home at the end of a goalmouth scramble in the 73rd minute.
That set up a siege of the Egyptian goal in the final 15 minutes but they held out to advance.
Earlier on Saturday, Nigeria overpowered Algeria 2-0 in Marrakech and will take on hosts Morocco in the other semifinal.
