Bangladesh lose to South Africa in tense T20 World Cup thriller

Bangladesh once again lose composure for what could have been a huge win

Bangladesh have lost their second T20 World Cup match to South Africa by just 4 runs in a low-scoring nailbiter, let down by a combination of poor hitting and slow pitch.

The Tigers could manage 109 for 7 in reply to South Africa’s below-par 113 for 6 in Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York on Monday.

The win means South Africa are in pole position to qualify for the Super Eight stage having won all three matches on the trot. Bangladesh have a win and still Super Eight in sight with three more games left.

South Africa won the toss and elected to bat, but the decision soon appeared to be a mistake on another difficult wicket in New York, the third day in a row the same pitch has been used.

They were reduced to 23-4 thanks to Tanzim Hasan Sakib’s 3-18.

Heinrich Klaasen with a classy 46 and David Miller with a battling 29 put on 79 for the fifth wicket, a record for South Africa in T20 World Cups, to get their total past the century mark against brilliant Bangladesh bowling.

The Tigers also found scoring difficult but when Towhid Hridoy (37) put on 44 for the fifth wicket with Mahmudullah (20), they looked on course for their first victory over the South Africans in T20 cricket.

But when a brilliant 18th over by Kagiso Rabada who removed dangerman Hridoy, the scoring rate slowed again.

Needing six from the final two balls, Mahmudullah was a metre away from clearing the rope but caught on the boundary by Aiden Markram as Keshav Maharaj finished with 3-27 in his four overs.

Bangladesh have reasons to feel hard done by as the second ball of the 17th over, which deflected off Mahmudullah’s front pad to the boundary, was ruled as lbw on the field. The decision was upheld upon review with an umpire's call, and it meant that the four leg byes did not count - ironically, the same margin by which they lost the game.

"We got a decent score (on this pitch) but were 10 runs short (of what we hoped)," Klaasen said at the post-match presentation. "The win will give us big confidence, we have had three pressure games.

"One more game to go (against Nepal on Saturday) and then on to the next phase."

"This is a match we should have won, we nearly did but the last couple of overs they bowled well," Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said. "It didn't happen but that's okay."