Visiting South Africa signalled their intent when they thrashed Bangladesh Cricket Board XI by eight wickets in their lone Twenty20 warm-up match of the tour at Fatullah on Friday. Fierce bowling, backed up by agile fielding and athleticism in the deep, helped the side rattle the second string Bangladeshi team for 99 runs in 18 overs before they romped to 101-2 in 12 overs.Opener Quinton de Kock (35) and AB de Villiers (25) faced no trouble to tear the bowling apart before they both retired with the same score of 64 after seven overs.
David Miller (13) and JP Duminy (17) followed their suit to take the visitors home unharmed when the former hit veteran spinner Abdur Razzak over the sightscreen for a six to complete the rout.
Though the visitors won effectively by 10 wickets, it was officially an eight-wicket win as both the retired batsmen were considered to be out after the innings.
The BCB XI opted to bat at sundrenched Fatullah after winning the toss but it hardly served their purpose as they were put into hot water immediately by South Africa’s new generation of pace bowlers.
David Wiese picked 3-13 and Kyle Abbot took 2-2 to rip through the batting and the duo was ably supported by others to the keep score under 100 runs.
The BCB XI’s struggle began in the very second over when Abbott rattled the middle-stump of opener Rony Talukdar and followed the same path four deliveries later by uprooting Anamul Haque’s off-stump to leave the scoreboard 2-6.
Skipper Imrul Kayes tried to resurrect the innings adding 26 runs with Saykat Ali (6) for the third wicket before left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso deceived the latter through his flight to whip off his leg-stump.
Imrul, who struck three fours on his way to highest 29 runs, added another 26 runs with Shuvagata Hom but failed to progress further when he fell victim of a superb catch running down the deep.
Imrul looked to have timed medium pacer Wiese well for a six over midwicket before Beuran Hendricks came down running to hold a one-handed catch. Miller, who had been running for support, was awarded the catch after Hendricks lobbed it on the sky and seemed to have lost the control.
The Proteas introduced seven bowlers inside 10 overs to give everyone a fair chance of having a look at the wicket.
The only joy for the local crowd came in the 15th over when Sohag Gazi struck a four and a straight six off Duminy but could not manage to get over Rille Rossouw in the following ball at midwicket.
South Africa will take the confidence when they begin the series formally on July 5 with the first of two Twenty20 Internationals. The visitors will also play three-one-day internationals and two Tests during their month-long stay.
-With New Age input
