ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Hashim Amla and Imran Tahir lead South Africa to perfect start with win over Sri Lanka

The Proteas' Champions Trophy campaign opened with an accomplished 96-run win that was set-up by Amla and finished by Tahir

Imran Tahir spun South Africa to victory to give them the perfect start to the tournament (Getty)

For South Africa, the perfect start. Their Champions Trophy campaign opened with an accomplished 96-run win that was set-up by Hashim Amla and finished by Imran Tahir. Amla recorded his 25th ODI century in 151 ODI innings: no other batsman has as many quicker and no South African has more. Tahir took the spoils, earning himself the man of the match award with four for 27. Sri Lanka were worryingly lacklustre.

South Africa’s success in this tournament rests on Tahir: a force of nature who works in mysterious ways yet with all the mystique of a bazooka. The art of leg spin relies heavily on show and tell and it’s easy to forget the nuance in Tahir’s work when the passion flows out of him like someone undergoing the business of an exorcism. He might have lost his number one ICC ranking to Kagiso Rabada, but he’ll have it back in no time with more days like today.

He qualifies to play for South Africa through his wife, who he met in the country when he was over with Pakistan for the Under-19 World Cup. Rumours that he sprinted down the aisle upon confirmation of their marriage are unconfirmed.

Even the mere sight of him at the top of his mark did funny things to Sri Lanka. Introduced after 17 overs with Sri Lanka 116 for four, Dinesh Chandimal thought it wise to run after finding AB de Villiers, one of the game’s best fielders, at mid off. While there was a misfield, an incredible diving gather and throw resulted in a direct hit. Three balls later, Chamara Kapugedera was trapped in front first ball with a googly.

Perhaps the best of his work came in the field when, Suranga Lakmal thought he could steal a run to midwicket. Tahir, who fields with the enthusiasm of a newly born deer and with as much coordination, gathered and threw down the stumps as Lakmal hesitated in getting back. So shocked was Tahir by his own aptitude that he forgot to race away towards the Archbishop Tenison's School as he had done for his four wickets.

Amla's ton got South Africa on their way (Getty)

The guts of South Africa's 299 were provided by Amla and Faf du Plessis. The neat target of 300 looked gettable on a pitch that held up but still allowed batsmen to hit through the line. Amla's knock of 103 indicated as much. He was watchful early on and at the end of his innings – two periods which sandwiched an aggressive tilt that saw him go from 13 to 84 in 59 balls.

That tallies with Sri Lanka’s work in the field. It was their decision to bowl first and, for the most part, they adhered to a sound game plan. Faced with a top order that likes to do the brunt of its early work through the covers, Tharanga – standing in as captain for the injured Angelo Mathews – stationed two men in the region, which meant only 32 runs were scored during the first 10 overs.

Amla moved to three figures yet again (Getty)

It would bring about the wicket of de Kock for a less than typical 23 from 42 balls. It should have also accounted for the wicket of Faf du Plessis. Frustrated with how little bang he was getting for his buck, du Plessis, on eight, charged Nuwan Pradeep and pulled a short ball that seemed to sail high and perfectly towards Lasith Malinga at fine leg. Somehow, he dropped in. That would have made it 59 for two in the 17th over. Sri Lanka would have to wait till the 34th over – 130 runs later – for that second wicket.

The reprieve shocked du Plessis into a more enterprising gear, bringing up his 28th ODI fifty in 52 balls, during a period when it looked like South Africa might add another 300-plus score on the board. But the loss of Du Plessis and then AB de Villiers in the space of seven balls for just five runs curtailed any hopes of that. That they made it to 299 owes much to JP Duminy who, with a bit of help from Chris Morris, found 65 from the final seven overs of the innings, which included clearing his front leg and drilling four down the ground and six over wide mid on with the last two balls.

The best of Sri Lanka’s chase came at the very beginning in the form of Niroshan Dickwella. The 23-year-old left-hander who was Sri Lanka’s only bright spot during a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of South Africa earlier this year, played a 33-ball cameo that was as dishevelled as it was devastating.

Tahir made the difference with the ball for South Africa (Getty)

Balls were swatted to deep square leg from outside off stump, with all the casual aggression of a man flipping his tie over his shoulder before digging into some soup. But his demise for 41 – caught at third man – having propelled the score to 68 after eight overs was the last time Sri Lanka was the beginning of the end.

Tharanga notched 57 – though he was dropped on two by Kagiso Rabada, off his own bowling – and Kusal Perera finished unbeaten on 44, but the lack of tempo from Dickwella’s dismissal onwards meant a target of 300, par by the rest of the world’s standards, was made to look far more impressive by Sri Lanka.