Dubai Telegraph - South Africa push Bangladesh closer to Test defeat in twilight zone

EUR -
AED 3.852936
AFN 76.645887
ALL 98.853766
AMD 417.6861
ANG 1.883795
AOA 959.303556
ARS 1106.363929
AUD 1.647159
AWG 1.888188
AZN 1.784205
BAM 1.95293
BBD 2.110498
BDT 127.003335
BGN 1.952892
BHD 0.393914
BIF 3094.992087
BMD 1.048993
BND 1.402412
BOB 7.222385
BRL 6.003965
BSD 1.045244
BTN 90.618812
BWP 14.417535
BYN 3.420707
BYR 20560.267283
BZD 2.099614
CAD 1.486743
CDF 3006.414283
CHF 0.944619
CLF 0.025746
CLP 987.984008
CNY 7.60939
CNH 7.604981
COP 4327.264908
CRC 530.010905
CUC 1.048993
CUP 27.798321
CVE 110.103174
CZK 25.031088
DJF 186.136424
DKK 7.459543
DOP 64.973266
DZD 141.793893
EGP 53.117898
ERN 15.734898
ETB 133.881673
FJD 2.409853
FKP 0.843028
GBP 0.833267
GEL 2.963395
GGP 0.843028
GHS 16.149264
GIP 0.843028
GMD 75.003555
GNF 9036.546131
GTQ 8.06914
GYD 218.68858
HKD 8.162227
HNL 26.647327
HRK 7.579056
HTG 136.76768
HUF 402.121131
IDR 17005.229231
ILS 3.721865
IMP 0.843028
INR 91.003361
IQD 1369.287472
IRR 44149.502657
ISK 147.089683
JEP 0.843028
JMD 165.054262
JOD 0.744259
JPY 158.941358
KES 135.47752
KGS 91.734162
KHR 4184.849264
KMF 491.555806
KPW 944.188379
KRW 1512.186583
KWD 0.323426
KYD 0.87102
KZT 519.676199
LAK 22716.611968
LBP 93601.343631
LKR 308.915967
LRD 208.533505
LSL 19.206771
LTL 3.097404
LVL 0.634526
LYD 5.128462
MAD 10.435462
MDL 19.546272
MGA 4923.669499
MKD 61.439698
MMK 3407.089088
MNT 3630.724907
MOP 8.380083
MRU 41.611048
MUR 48.570019
MVR 16.148412
MWK 1812.301793
MXN 21.298552
MYR 4.646514
MZN 67.035777
NAD 19.206771
NGN 1583.780347
NIO 38.462736
NOK 11.658306
NPR 144.987139
NZD 1.828853
OMR 0.403337
PAB 1.045264
PEN 3.883492
PGK 4.203741
PHP 60.806939
PKR 291.768688
PLN 4.161574
PYG 8235.895187
QAR 3.810599
RON 4.976631
RSD 116.958099
RUB 95.498018
RWF 1466.516608
SAR 3.934355
SBD 8.845862
SCR 15.095216
SDG 630.445361
SEK 11.222057
SGD 1.404717
SHP 0.863937
SLE 23.865079
SLL 21996.869425
SOS 597.310707
SRD 36.94866
STD 21712.041926
SVC 9.145558
SYP 13640.075788
SZL 19.202594
THB 35.343201
TJS 11.409031
TMT 3.671476
TND 3.309536
TOP 2.456851
TRY 38.005214
TTD 7.093574
TWD 34.309382
TZS 2732.627731
UAH 43.494344
UGX 3846.346782
USD 1.048993
UYU 45.403268
UZS 13581.039094
VES 65.030103
VND 26689.010222
VUV 129.721908
WST 2.976381
XAF 654.981844
XAG 0.032737
XAU 0.000363
XCD 2.834957
XDR 0.800308
XOF 654.981844
XPF 119.331742
YER 260.150084
ZAR 19.24549
ZMK 9442.195535
ZMW 29.450714
ZWL 337.775392
  • SCS

    -0.0700

    12.35

    -0.57%

  • VOD

    -0.0700

    8.36

    -0.84%

  • RBGPF

    63.5700

    63.57

    +100%

  • BTI

    -0.7900

    38.82

    -2.04%

  • RELX

    -0.8400

    51.07

    -1.64%

  • NGG

    -0.5400

    60.73

    -0.89%

  • RYCEF

    0.0200

    7.84

    +0.26%

  • GSK

    -0.3800

    36.17

    -1.05%

  • RIO

    0.0700

    63.36

    +0.11%

  • CMSC

    0.0900

    23.5

    +0.38%

  • BCE

    0.1900

    23.82

    +0.8%

  • BCC

    1.0300

    121.63

    +0.85%

  • BP

    0.5100

    35

    +1.46%

  • AZN

    -0.8700

    73.58

    -1.18%

  • JRI

    0.0435

    12.83

    +0.34%

  • CMSD

    0.1872

    23.69

    +0.79%

South Africa push Bangladesh closer to Test defeat in twilight zone
South Africa push Bangladesh closer to Test defeat in twilight zone

South Africa push Bangladesh closer to Test defeat in twilight zone

South Africa's strategy came together as Bangladesh lost three quick wickets at the end of the third day of the second Test at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth on Sunday.

Text size:

Spinners Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer, sharing the new ball, reduced Bangladesh to 27 for three after setting the tourists an improbable 413 to win.

The collapse came exactly a week after the same two bowlers had Bangladesh reeling at 11 for three at the end of the fourth day in the first Test in Durban, setting up a 220-run win for South Africa.

It was all planned, according to South African opening batsman Sarel Erwee, who explained that the hosts went for their shots before declaring in the second innings in order to pose Bangladesh another trial by spin in twilight conditions.

"We had (wanted) a minimum score of 400 runs lead before we declared and a certain amount of overs to get that lead," said Erwee.

"So it was always in the plan. I suppose that's why you saw some positive shot-making while we were batting."

Erwee said that a declaration with more than two days remaining was in keeping with the policy of captain Dean Elgar and coach Mark Boucher.

"It's a state of mind, our mentality," said Erwee.

"Dean's driving it into us. We want to be positive cricketers, we want to lead from the front. It's a positive decision that he's taken and that we take as a team.

"We've got to follow through with that. That's what we're trying to instil in this Test side and South African cricket, from Dean and coach Boucher."

Erwee said the decision to put spin pressure on Bangladesh was at least partly the result of the experience he and fellow opening batsman Elgar had at the end of the third day in Durban when they had to survive two tricky overs of spin.

- 'Makes hearts flutter' -

"It makes your hearts flutter. It's not a nice period, that twilight period. We've got two world-class spinners so it's even worse if you have to face them."

Maharaj struck in each of his first two overs as Bangladesh had to bat in fading light with the floodlights on.

Mahmudul Hasan was out first ball, edging the left-arm spinner to Wiaan Mulder at a short gully position off wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne's gloves.

Mahmudul, who made a century in the first Test, was out for nought in the first innings as well, facing two balls.

Najmul Hossain went back on his stumps and was leg before to Maharaj before off-spinner Harmer dismissed Tamim Iqbal with the last ball of the day, caught at second slip off a ball which spun sharply and bounced to loop off the shoulder of his bat.

Bangladesh were earlier bowled out for 217 in their first innings, with Mushfiqur Rahim top-scoring with 51.

Harmer took three wickets in 3.2 overs as the innings folded rapidly. Harmer finished with three for 39 while Maharaj took two for 57.

"Mushfiq's dismissal was of course unexpected. We had a few minutes left before lunch break. We didn't want to see this kind of shot in this situation, only 43 runs were needed to avoid follow on," said Bangladesh team director Khaled Mahmud.

"Though they did not ask us to follow on, it was a matter of dignity."

He added: "It is very unexpected to see someone playing a shot of this kind at that moment. From an experienced player like him, we would not expect it anyway. I don't know how it should be explained. He knows better. Very unfortunate, frankly."

South Africa batted aggressively in their second innings and declared on 176 for six, scored at better than four runs an over.

Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam took three for 67 to finish with match figures of nine for 202.

Erwee top-scored for South Africa with 41, while Verreynne made a hard-hit 39 not out off 30 balls.

X.Wong--DT