Bangladesh lose five wickets in final session

Bangladesh ended the second day of their second Test against South Africa firmly on the back foot as they got reduced to 139-5 in their first innings and are trailing the hosts by 314 runs at the St. George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

All-rounder Wiaan Mulder struck thrice while pacer Duanne Olivier took two wickets to leave the tourists in a precarious position at the end of Day 2.

Tamim Iqbal played an eye catching 47 off 57 deliveries and Najmul Hossain Shanto made 33 but they couldn’t hold onto their wickets till the end of play.

Mushfiqur Rahim and Yasir Ali remained unbeaten on 30 and eight respectively at stumps and have to play deep into the third day if Bangladesh are to avoid follow-on.

Earlier, South Africa posted a daunting 453 in their first innings. Bangladesh’s reply got off to a terrible start as Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Bangladesh’s centurion from the previous Test, departed for a duck in the very first over.

Joy pushed at a wide delivery from Olivier, which took an outside edge and went straight to Sarel Erwee at first slip.

Tamim and Shanto then fought back with a 79-run partnership. The veteran Tamim was the aggressor as he struck eight boundaries in his dominant innings.

But Mulder ended Bangladesh’s good spell by sending back the two set batsmen in consecutive overs.

Tamim was the first to go. Mulder caught him on the front foot with an inward moving delivery that hit him on his pads and the umpire had no hesitation to give him out leg-before wicket.

Shanto also lost his wicket to a similar delivery. He was also hit on his pad but this time the umpire ruled in favour of the batsman. Not convinced by the decision, South Africa reviewed the call and were proven correct as after inspection the third umpire reversed the original decision.

Skipper Mominul Haque, who so far has had a dreadful series with the bat, also got trapped LBW for six by the same bowler to an almost identical inward moving delivery, that reduced the Tigers to 100-4.

Bangladesh management decided against sending a nightwatchman as Liton Das was sent next. Liton struck two fours to make 11 before losing his middle stump to Olivier.

The Test started to look like a Day-Night Test in the last 30 minutes of play, as artificial lights took full affect. But play continued as the umpires felt there was sufficient light.

Mushfiq and Yasir somehow negotiated that nervy period and took the team into the third day with five wickets in hand.

Earlier, Taijul Islam’s six-wicket haul couldn’t save Bangladesh from conceding a massive first innings total.

Taijul finished with 6-135, his best figures in an away Test innings, while Khaled Ahmed took 3-100.

Off-spinner Keshav Maharaj top-scored for the hosts with his career-best knock of 84 off just 95 balls after three fifties on the previous day from skipper Dean Elgar (70), Temba Bavuma (67) and Keegan Peterson (64).

Bangladesh’s hopes of bowling out South Africa quickly on Day 2 got crushed in the morning session, as the hosts accumulated 106 runs off 25 overs for the loss of two wickets after resuming the day’s play on 278-5.

Khaled broke through the defenses of overnight batter Kyle Verreynne (22) early in the day. Wiaan Mulder and Maharaj then formed an 80-run partnership for the seventh wicket to take South Africa’s total near the 400-run mark.

Maharaj was the aggressor of the two, as he smashed four boundaries and three sixes to complete his fourth Test fifty in just 50 deliveries.

Taijul finally ended the partnership by bowling out Mulder for 33 and South Africa went into the Lunch break on 384-7.

After the interval, Maharaj continued batting aggressively and pushed the total beyond 400.

Maharaj was dropped once by Yasir Ali at slip off Ebadot as Yasir couldn’t grab onto a difficult chance. After getting a life on 58, the tail-ender rubbed salt on Ebadot’s wound by hitting him for four boundaries in his next three overs.

Finally, Taijul ended Maharaj’s innings with a looped up delivery that spun sharply and hit the top of off-stump.

Maharaj walked back to the dressing room to a standing ovation after an innings that included nine boundaries and three sixes.

Simon Harmer also frustrated Bangladesh with his 29 off 59 balls, which pushed the total beyond 450.

Harmer got stumped by Taijul in the 136th over and Miraz trapped Lizaad Williams (13) leg-before wicket in the following over to bowl out South Africa.