Bangladesh sink South Africa to end eight-year wait, draw level in ODI series

Bowlers hunted in a pack before Soumya Sarkar shone with a sparkling half-century to help Bangladesh thump South Africa by seven wickets and level the series.

Sports Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 12 July 2015, 09:00 AM
Updated : 12 July 2015, 10:22 PM

The bowlers stifled the Proteas batsmen to set the stage for only their second win in ODIs – after a wait for eight years. 

Young seamer Mustafizur Rahman and spinner Nasir Hossain returned with three wickets each to bowl them out for a mere 162 in Mirpur on Sunday.

Soumya cracked a dazzling unbeaten 88 and paired with Mahmudullah (50) in a 135-run stand.

He hammered 13 boundaries and a six to leave no doubt who was the Man-of-the-Match.

The Tigers raced to the paltry target in the 28th over to square the series 1-1 and put paid to any doubt over their Champions Trophy spot at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

The partnership was Bangladesh’s highest against South Africa for any wicket.

But it was their bowlers who skittled the tourists out in 46 overs and laid the platform for the batsmen to blaze to the resounding win.

Faf du Plessis topscored for South Africa with 41 while Farhaan Behardien (36) put up late resistance but the hosts chipped away with regular wickets with some tidy and accurate bowling.
The spinners tightened the screw to help Bangladesh bundle South Africa out only the second time in one-dayers.
Mustafizur drew first blood with the wicket of Quinton de Kock (2) before Rubel went through the gates of Hashim Amla (22) to set the tone of the match.
The bowlers kept it tight as Rilee Rossouw (4) and David Miller (9) both played 24 deliveries before falling in quick succession.
Du Plessis, who cobbled together with Amla their highest partnership of only 29, survived a review on 36 before lifting Nasir towards long-on where Soumya took a good catch. 
The hosts took the fifth wicket in the 29th over with South Africa yet to reach 100.

 
South Africa batsmen had much trouble reading Mustafizur’s offcutters, who bowled brilliantly to return 3 for 38 in 10 overs.

The 19-year old was a joy to watch as he confused the batsmen with his slowers all the while mixing up his length to make things worse. 

Rubel attacked the stumps on the Mirpur track that kept low and vindicated his inclusion by taking two wickets.

Behardien fought a lone battle down the order. He overturned an lbw decision against him via a review on 10 and pushed on to help the Proteas cross 150-run mark. 
Mustafizur came back into the attack and snared Kagiso Rabada for his third before skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza chipped in with Behardien’s wicket to finish things off.
Nasir returned 3 for 26 in his eight overs. 
Bangladesh’s chase got off to a nervy start as South Africa paceman Rabada followed up Friday’s record-breaking performance with two early wickets.
Tamim Iqbal (5) dragged a bouncer on to fall early to Rabada again, before the 20-year old seamer castled Liton Kumar Das (17) to reduce the hosts to 24 for two.
Mahmudullah dispatched Rabada to square leg for a boundary to open his account while Soumya retained his natural aggression at the other end.
The 22-year old opener hammered Chris Morris for three boundaries to milk 16 runs in the 13th over as the duo kept the runs flowing at a brisk rate.
They kept their foot on the gas and punished the Proteas spinners with boundaries in almost every over to take Bangladesh to 100 in the 17th over.
Soumya gave Jean-Paul Duminy the charge twice for successive boundaries before pushing for a couple to score his third ODI half-century off 47 balls.
The Tigers’ only win against South Africa had come in the 2007 World Cup in West Indies.
Soumya’s innings could have ended on 61 when a leading edge off Behardien landed safe because of a misunderstanding between du Plessis and Rabada.
The pair changed gears following the reprieve and breezed to the century stand, off 106 balls, to take the Tigers to the brink of victory. 

Mahmudullah – with a good innings long overdue – reached his 13th ODI half-century off 63 balls with a boundary off Kyle Abbott.

He got out in the next ball with his team only four runs from the target.

Soumya brought up the winning runs in some style by hoisting Imran Tahir for a huge six.