Staff Reporter.
Dean Elgar struck his third consecutive half-century as he led South Africa to 107 for one in 28 overs at lunch on the first day of the second Betway test against Bangladesh at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Friday.
Elgar’s first contribution was to win the toss and bat first on a benign pitch with not much grass on it. Bangladesh included only two fast bowlers in their team and both Khaled Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain tended to bowl too short which is meat and drink for Elgar. It was a similar scenario to the first session in Durban in which Bangladesh allowed South Africa to get away to a fast start.
South Africa’s captain and Sarel Erwee added 52 at a rate of more than four to the over before Erwee was tempted by a full, wide delivery from Khaled, edging his drive to wicketkeeper Liton Das who took a good catch diving to his left. It was a kind of justice for Khaled who, replays showed, had been trapped leg before by the paceman in the third over but the tourists failed to review in time.
The Proteas’ batsmen, with Keegan Petersen replacing Erwee (24), remained determined to be positive. Elgar, having struck his second fastest test 50 in Durban, claimed his third-fastest at St George’s Park, a favoured ground for the left-hander who is South Africa’s biggest scorer in tests there.
At the break, Elgar had struck eight fours in his 59 in 80 balls, mainly square of the wicket on both sides, while Petersen had kept him good company (24 in 48 balls) in their unbroken second-wicket stand of 55 in 96 balls.
For Bangladesh, Khaled looked the most dangerous of the seamers, claiming the only wicket and beating Elgar with some superb deliveries when he pitched the ball up. Of the spinners, Mehidy Miraz was expensive, going for 30 in six overs, but his left-arm spinning partner, Taijul Islam, was much tighter, conceding only nine runs in his five overs and causing Petersen in particular some uncomfortable moments.
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.