Staff Reporter.
South Africa claimed two crucial wickets shortly before lunch to edge the session on the third morning of the second Betway test against Bangladesh at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Sunday.
At the break, Bangladesh were 210 for seven, still trailing by 243 runs and their two main middle-order batsmen, Yasir Ali and Mushfiqur Rahim, both back in the pavilion.
The men to do the job were firstly Keshav Maharaj – who had Yasir caught and bowled – and then, in the penultimate over before lunch, Simon Harmer, puzzlingly introduced for only one over, forced Mushfiqur into playing a panicky reverse sweep which he missed, the ball uprooting his off-stump.
If the home team finished on the front foot, they began poorly after a 25-minute rain delay with Yasir taking advantage of three short, wide deliveries from Lizaad Williams to crash three consecutive boundaries.
While Duanne Olivier was tidier at the other end, skipper Dean Elgar strangely perservered with the wayward Williams when he could so easily have started with Wiaan Mulder who was the Proteas’ outstanding bowler on Saturday, claiming 3/16 in five overs.
When Mulder and Maharaj did bowl together the run-tap was immediately turned off. Nevertheless the two batsmen did well to take their sixth-wicket partnership to 70 in 162 balls before Maharaj made the breakthrough.
Having got one to turn sharply away from Yasir – leading to a shout for leg before – the chunky right-hander attempted to turn the next delivery to leg but only succeeded in getting a leading edge back to the bowler who just about hung on to the catch after some initial juggling. Yasir, who played some fine strokes square of the wicket, struck seven fours in his 87-ball 46 and he was understandably angry with himself for getting out in the manner he did.
If Yasir’s dismissal was somewhat self-inflicted, Mushfiqur’s was even more so. Harmer, who immediately got the ball to turn and bounce, conceded a lofted sweep for four off his first ball, then rapped the batsman on the pad for what would have been (if SA had any reviews left) a dismissal before Harmer completed the job with the third ball. Until then, Mushfiqur had been patience and good sense personified, striking 51 in 136 balls, his 25th test half-century.
At the break, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam were at the crease for Bangladesh.
South Africa: Dean Elgar (capt), Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen, Temba Bavuma, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, Lizaad Williams, Duanne Olivier
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das (wk), Yasir Ali, Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain.