South Africa cruise to series win
South Africa needed just three days to beat Bangladesh by an innings and 48 runs and wrap up a 2-0 series win.
Shakib Al Hasan's three wickets in four balls prompted a South African mini-collapse but they ended the first innings with a lead of 179.
Bangladesh lost Imrul Kayes (5) in a brief spell batting before lunch, and three run-outs hastened their demise.
Raqibul Hasan top scored with 28 but keen-eyed fielding and a strong bowling performance saw them all out for 131.
Having resumed on 357-5 and with two players making centuries, South Africa would have hoped to have made more than only 429.
But Shakib claimed the wickets of Mark Boucher (117), and Morne Morkel and Monde Zondeki for ducks as they slid from 405-6 to 405-8, and the innings never recovered, as Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn and Ashwell Prince (162 not out) could only nudge the score forward by 24 runs.
Bangladesh had four overs to face before lunch, but it was enough time for Ntini to claim the wicket of Kayes, caught at first slip.
First innings top-scorer Junaid Siddique was targeted with a barrage of short-pitched deliveries before gloving a lifting Jacques Kallis delivery to gully for 16.
Tamim Iqbal (20) twice needed treatment after being hit on the hand before being caught out by Neil McKenzie's spectacular dive, and then captain Mohammad Ashraful was involved in two run-outs.
Hashim Amla's direct hit from backward square leg sent Mehrab Hossain back to the pavillion for a duck, and two overs later it was the captain's turn as he fell victim to Steyn's fine direct-hit throw for 21.
After Shakib Al Hasan was caught for two, Bangladesh reached tea on 96-5, but once Mushfiqur Rahim (four) was bowled by Ntini with the first ball after the restart, Bangladesh were on borrowed time.
Mashrafe Mortaza's unbeaten 23 off 21 balls delayed the inevitable, but after top scorer Raqibul was out, Zondeki polished things off by claiming the last two wickets.
Afterwards, South Africa captain Graeme Smith said he wanted to see the same kind of intensity the team had displayed in their next series, against Australia, starting in December.
"We will have all bases covered and we will be best prepared as we can be, and it will be about going out there and hopefully performing well in the field which we have done over the last year and a half," he said.
"I have every faith with every guy that comes on tour with me to do the job and produce performances to make people proud of South Africa."
Labels: Cricket, South Africa
1 Comments:
yeah that was really a great victory to South Africa. Now South Africa is in good form with good captain and full of young generation. They are working as a team work with Grame smith's good captaincy.
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Bobwilliams
Buzz
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