South Africa’s spin twins Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer spun the first Test against Bangladesh in their team’s favour with a gevaarlike spell last night.
Bowled out for just 204 runs shortly before the end of play, South Africa set Bangladesh a winning target of 274 runs with a handjievol minute and today’s volle fifth day to play.
It was a day lost in the eyes of the hosts, after losing their final nine wickets for just 88 runs.
Harmer, who took 4/103 in Bangladesh’s first innings, then drew first blood when he had Shadman Islam caught at slip for a duck.
Maharaj smelled blood and firstly trapped Mominul Haque leg before for two, before clean bowling Hasan Joy, who scored 137 runs in the first innings, for 4.
Bangladesh went from happy to 11/3 in the space of just six overs before bad light stopped play.
Najmul Shanto (5*) and Mushfiqur Rahim (0*) will ask for guard at 10am today, as they need 263 more runs to win with seven wickets in the bank.
DAY 4 | STUMPS 🔴
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) April 3, 2022
Bad light brings Day 4️⃣ to an early close with @bangladeshtigers on 1️⃣1️⃣/3️⃣ and the #Proteas defending 2️⃣6️⃣3️⃣ runs for victory.
Keshav Maharaj 2️⃣/7️⃣
Simon Harmer 1️⃣/4️⃣#SAvBAN #BePartOfIt | @Betway_za pic.twitter.com/aRjlQi0O0R
SA, meanwhile, will sleep a lot better after their spinners’ display.
Enjoy a 69-run first innings lead, after scoring 367 all out to which Bangladesh replied with 298, the hosts resumed the day on 6/0.
After losing Sarel Erwee (8) early, Dean Elgar added to the 67 he scored in the first innings by getting 64 and alongside Keegan Petersen (36) took the score to 105/1 at lunch.
But when Elgar was trapped leg before by Taskin Ahmed (2/24), all hell broke loose as SA lost their last nine wickets for just 88 runs.
Debutant Ryan Rickleton added some respectability with his unbeaten knock of 39.
But SA would have felt their score was a bietjie te min… until Maharaj and Harmer arrived.