The Proteas proved far too strong for the Tigers who failed firstly to check South Africa’s run making and later to withstand their bowling attack, folding for only 78 and thus ending their Cricket World Cup dream at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Saturday.
South Africa secured its place at the top on the point table and among top eight moving into the next round with five wins. On the other hand, Bangladesh crashed out of the tournament failing to add points from the match, which was their last opportunity.
Tigers folded for 78 runs. Silence descended in the capital in the last ball of the 28th over when Peterson bowled Naeem Islam. Naeem 8 runs off 20 balls.
Earlier, South Africa skipper Graeme Smith had a dream opening when Tamim, their biggest worry, fell for only five runs in the fourth over. Tsotsobe’s third ball got some of Tamim’s bat sending a noise. As the loud appeal failed to convince the umpire, the fielders went for a review and got the decision for them. Tamim played 14 balls.
Imrul Kayes, who became player of the match in Bangladesh’s last two wins against Netherlands and England, also followed Tamim’s path at the hands of the same bowler, Tsotsobe. He mistook to judge the fourth ball of the sixth over and was astonished to see the bails in the air. His 15-ball inning earned him four runs.
Next wicket, Junaid Siddique, fell in the last ball of the next over. Johan Botha delivered a full-length around off hitting him in front of the stumps to trap him in a leg before. Junaid sought for a review only to be confirmed of the on-field umpire’s decision. He scored only 2 off 7 balls.
Tsotsobe hit again in the next over. His tricky delivery on the off-stump again trapped the batsman, Shahriar Nafees this time, getting an inside edge to dislodge the bails along its way. Nafees went back for five runs playing 12 balls, including a boundary.
Joining Mushfiqur, skipper Shakib Al Hasan made a desperate attempt for a partnership to give Bangladesh innings a footing. Both of them played cautiously without going for big hits.
South African skipper Graeme did not let that happen. He took a superb catch on the slip in the first ball of the 16th over to see Mushfiqur off. Peterson gave a flighted delivery around off to lure Mushfiqur for a push. The Bangladesh wicket-keeper-batsman played 21 balls to score three runs.
Bangladesh’s fight virtually fell apart in the 24th over when skipper Shakib Al Hasan fell. Shakib had a thick edge on Peterson’s fourth delivery, which was a slightly quicker one. Wicket-keeper Morne van wyk took it on the rebound.
Shakib scored 30 off 49 balls.
Shafiul, who joined Naeem Islam two balls later, went back two balls later. The flighted delivery on the leg stump took off the bails as Shafiul went for a sweep.
Taking to the crease, Razzak could face two balls before going back to the pavilion. Playing Imran Tahir a sweep in the last ball of 25th over, he sent the ball to Peterson at deep midwicket to go back for a duck.
Earlier, winning the toss, South African captain Graeme Smith elected to bat first.
Bangladesh bowlers succeeded to have some grip on the Proteas batsmen sending back eight of them to the pavilion but were too late to do that, giving the opponents enough time and chance to pile up 284 runs.
The Tigers with the ball proved too ordinary for the Proteas, who have already reserved their place for the quarterfinal by scoring eight points from five matches. Bangladesh must win the game to continue their World Cup campaign.
Pacer Rubel Hossain struck the South African batting line-up lately, picking up three wickets in his eight overs, though he conceded 56 runs, in the best bowling figure for Bangladesh bowlers in the match.
However, Tigers skipper Shakib Al Hasan earned the co-host the long expected breakthrough while Jacques Kallis was flexing his muscle scoring runs on all the directions.
Kallis and Faf du Plessis, who added 82 runs in the fourth partnership, was turning into a major threat for Bangladesh. Though he was slow to score at the beginning of his inning, Kallis turned devastating after reaching his 50. Shakib trapped him to lob a catch back to him in the third ball of the 45th over. Kallis scored 69 off 76 balls, including five boundaries and an over-boundary.
Shakib hit again in the fourth ball of his next over, bowling out this time Morne van Wyk for five runs of as many balls.
du Plessis was turning dangerous for the Tigers, as he scored 52 runs off as many balls. Pacer Rubel had an eye on him and gave him a full toss, forcing him to give a catch to Tamim at the mid-off in the 48th over.
Rubel gave the local crowd an occasion to celebrate in the first ball of the 50th over removing Botha. When Robin Peterson dug out the ball, Botha rushed out to take a single but Peterson sent him back. Collecting the ball, Rubel threw that at his end and Botha went back for 12 runs of six balls.
Wayne Parnell was the last man for the South African to go back in the same over. Parnell tried to punch the good length ball past midwicket but missed it to see it crashing into the stumps. He went back for a duck.
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Shahriar Nafees, Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam and Rubel Hossain.
South Africa: Graeme Smith (Captain), Hashim Amla, Morne van Wyk, Jacques Kallis, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Johan Botha, Robin Peterson, Wayne Parnell, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Imran Tahir.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
