Bangladesh suffocated South Africa ; South Africa saved their lowest target in T20Is with a narrow 4-run win over Bangladesh and advanced to the next round of this T20 World Cup. In their third win on the bounce they once again found a way out of a difficult situation, winning the toss in the powerplay and being all out for 23 for 4. But the total of 113 ultimately proved futile as Bangladesh lacked the power and muscle to produce big hits in another tough New York pitching sequence.
Bangladesh suffocated South Africa for the third consecutive time.
Exactly how close was it?
Chasing many runs, the second ball of the 17th over went off Mahmudullah’s front pad to the fence but he was out lbw on the field, upholding the review umpire’s call and the four leg byes not counting.
Bangladesh suffocated South Africa for the third consecutive time
What made the difference?
Henrik Klaasen’s innings.
Batting at number 5 when the chips were down, Klaasen scored 46 off 44 balls and was named man of the match for his performance, which included 2 fours and 3 sixes. His innings saw him batting in different gears: He got the reward by defending against the seamers before Rishad Hossain’s spin. His partnership with David Miller ensured that South Africa did not lose any wickets in the middle overs (7-15), helping them set bowling targets.
South Africa:
Bangladesh suffocated South Africa for the third consecutive time.
Powerplay: Tanjim Shakib dismisses SA
Phase Score: 25/4 (RR: 4.16, 4s/6s: 2/2)
As South Africa reconsidered their decision to bat first, Tanzim Shakib struck three times in the first six overs and eventually fell to 25/4. It was South Africa’s third lowest powerplay score in a World T20 despite the intent and aggression of Quinton de Kock, who scored a 6 and a 4 in the first over of the innings but could not hold on for long. ; He was bowled by Shakib in the third over. Riza Hendricks fell to an incoming delivery from Tristan Stubbs at cover in Shakib’s first over. In such a rush from one end, Taskin Ahmed hit the valuable wicket of Aiden Markram from the other end, which was undone by seam movement.
Miller tried his hand against the pacers and managed to clear Mustafizur Rahman’s bowling as they took South Africa to 57/4 at the halfway mark of the innings. It certainly didn’t help that Miller was dropped for 13 by Liton Das behind the wicket, the bowler being Mahmudullah.
Bangladesh suffocated South Africa for the third consecutive time.
Death Over: Bangladesh Outscore SA
Phase Score: 29/2 (RR: 5.80, 4s/6s: 2/2)
The South African team did not really improve. Maybe it’s not coming to another hard pitch at the venue. The only time South Africa managed to cross the boundary cushion was when Klaassen managed to hit a six off Mahmudullah but soon after, he couldn’t keep a low-bouncing straight ball from Taskin. In the next over, Miller missed a slog-sweep against Rishad at the bottom of the innings and was bowled. In the episode too, Shakib bowled early and finished with impressive figures of 3 for 18. Just 13 runs came from the last three overs as South Africa were restricted to 113/6 in 20 overs.
Bangladesh suffocated South Africa for the third consecutive time.
Powerplay: Bangladesh reduce the loss
Phase Score: 29/1 (RR: 4.83, 4s/6s: 3/1)
Bangladesh gave a head start chasing runs on a pitch that had lost just one wicket with the new ball. Marco Janssen opened proceedings with a neat run, which Kagiso Rabada failed to double at the other end.
Tanjid Hasan took the next one with back-to-back boundaries, played just one shot too many and was edged by Rabada later in the over. Then Nazmul Hasan Shanto and Liton Das worked without further damage in the powerplay.
Bangladesh suffocated South Africa for the third consecutive time.
Middle overs: Tension between runs and wickets
Phase Score: 54/3 (RR: 6, 4s/6s: 3/2)
Soon after the fielding ban, Maharaj came into the attack and hit his first delivery, caught by Lytton at cover on a full toss. Then Shakib Al Hasan and Shanto got big wickets with a short delivery to Enrich Nortje in the back over. In the next five overs, Mahmudullah and Touhid Hridiya scored 33 runs unbroken, the former even recovering 10 runs in Johnsen’s slip.
Bangladesh suffocated South Africa for the third consecutive time.
Death over: Bangladesh can’t find the big hits
Bangladesh suffocated South Africa : Phase Score: 26/3 (RR: 5.2, 4s/6s: 1/0)
31 runs were required in the last five overs. Possible, very possible, especially with two good set batters. But then South Africa tightened the grip and conceded just one boundary in the last five overs. Markram held the field admirably, Denying Bangladesh an easy single. Bowling the 18th over, Rabada conceded just 2 runs and a well-set Hart (37 off 34 balls) trapped him to take a crucial wicket. Otnil Bartman then bowled the 19th over for 7 runs, leaving Maharaj to defend for 11 runs in the last over. And he did so haphazardly, tossing three deliveries that Mahmudullah and Zakir Ali didn’t find the boundary.
Indeed, 6 needed off 2 balls, Mahmudullah was caught straight inside the boundary by Markram, who took his fourth catch of the day in the outfield.
Brief scores: South Africa 113/6 (Klassen 46; Shakib 3-18) beat Bangladesh 109/7 (Hridoy 37; Maharaj 3-27) by 4 runs.
Bangladesh suffocated South Africa for the third consecutive time.
What next?
Both South Africa and Bangladesh will now travel to Kingston, St. Vincent for their next match. Bangladesh will play South Africa against Nepal on Friday and Netherlands on Thursday.