Bangladesh defeat South Africa by 21 runs in their opening match of the World Cup at The Oval. The Tigers posted their highest-ever ODI score of 330 runs before restricting South Africa to 309/8.
Du Plessis hit 62 while JP Duminy looked to take the game to the Tigers at the death during South Africa's chase. Mustafizur Rahman started the rot for the Proteas batting lineup bagging three wickets. He removed the dangerous David Miller in the 36th over after South Africa crossed 200-run mark for three wickets.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Mohammad Saifuddin bagged two crucial wickets as well. Earlier, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim scored 75 and 78 respectively before Mahmudullah Riyad played a cameo 33-ball 46 at the death to take Bangladesh to a really good score. It was also the highest score any team has posted in this World Cup.
It was a dream start from the Tigers in this World Cup as a good start is vital to building momentum in such a big tournament. Soumya Sarkar had led the way with his brilliant strokeplay early on in the Tigers' innings and Mustafizur and Saifuddin had achieved some reverse-swing with the old ball as Bangladesh thwarted the Proteas. While there were a few dropped chances, Tigers recovered well in the end. Mehedi Miraz getting the scalp of South Africa capatain FAF du Plessis might have been the turning point in the game as South Africa eventually fell short of the total set by Bangladesh.
Windies now top the standings in the ten-team tournament courtesy of a better net run-rate. Bangladesh are in fifth with a net run-rate of 0.42 and also have two points from one game along with New Zealand, England and Australia.
End of SA innings: South Africa 309/8. The Bangladesh team roar with joy as South Africa fall short by 21 runs in chase of the total posted by the Tigers.
[Wicket] 47.1, 287/8: JP Duminy b Mustafizur Rahman 45 (37b 4x4 0x6) SR: 121.62
Wily Fizz gets his cutter to work and removes dangerman Duminy who was looking ominous.
[Wicket] 45.5, SA 275/7: Morris c Soumya Sarkar b Mustafizur Rahman 10 (10b 1x4 0x6) SR: 100.00
A bad full toss but Morris does not clear the ropes and is holed out deep long-on. Fizz bags his second wicket. Kagiso Rabada has come to the crease. 55 runs required from 24 balls. Tigers need three wickets.
[Wicket] 42.5, SA - 252/6: AL Phehlukwayo c Shakib Al Hasan b Mohammad Saifuddin 8 (13b 1x4 0x6) SR: 61.53
It's a full-toss and Phelukwayo tries to whack it through the off-side but does not get a hold of it. Shakib at mid off pounces and takes a brilliant catch. Saifuddin is turning the game around for the Tigers here. Mustafizur gave Bangladesh the wicket of dangerman Miller and Saifuddin's two wickets in quick sucession see the Tigers in the driving seat.
[Wicket] 39.1, SA - 228/5: HE van der Dussen b Mohammad Saifuddin 41 (38b 2x4 1x6) SR: 107.89
Saifuddin is getting some reverse-swing as the ball dips and swings in just enough. A wild hoick from van der Dussen and he missed the line of the delivery. Saifuddin does not miss. Out clean bowled. Tigers are back in this game.
[Wicket] 35.1, SA- 202/4: DA Miller c Mehidy Hasan Miraz b Mustafizur Rahman 38 (43b 2x4 0x6) SR: 88.37
Finally, Miller gets dismissed after being dropped twice earlier. A super catch by Mehedi Hasan Miraz at backward point as Miller gets a leading edge off Mustafizur Rahman's delivery.
End of over 35, SA-201/3
After being dropped on 16 by Soumya Sarkar, Miller survives another close call as Mahmudullah misjudges and makes a meal out of a simple catch.
33.3, SA-194/3
David Miller gets a life on 31. This time it is Mahmudullah Riyad, who was at third man and he misjudges the flight off the ball and missed the opportunity to take the catch. Miller must be the luckiest man on the field right now.
29.3, SA- 161/3
David Miller dropped on 16 at mid off by Soumya Sarkar off Shakib Al Hasan's delivery. This could prove costly for the Tigers.
[Wicket] 26.4, SA-147/3: F du Plessis b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 62 (53b 5x4 1x6) SR: 116.98
Du Plessis goes down the track to hit a Mehedi Hasan Miraz delivery out of the park but misses it completely and the ball went onto hit his stumps.
End of over 25, SA- 135/2
It is the skipper, du Plessis, who is leading South Africa from the front. Du Plessis looks set as he reaches his fifty in the 25th over.
Faf du Plessis 53 (46b)
David Miller 9 (16b)
Mosaddek Hossain 4-0-27-0
Shakib Al Hasan 7-0-25-1
24.5, SA- 133/2
South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis reaches fifty by hitting a big six off Mosaddek Hossain's delivery. The right-hander went to his back foot and smashes it over the fence at wide long off.
End of over 20, SA- 105/2
Mehidy has gone off the ground after a fielding mishap. He was limping.
Faf du Plessis 36 (31b)
David Miller 1 (1b)
Shakib Al Hasan 5-0-19-1
Mosaddek Hossain 1-0-3-0
[Wicket] 19.4, SA-102/2: AK Markram b Shakib Al Hasan 45 (56b 4x4 0x6) SR: 80.35
Shakib Al Hasan becomes the fastest cricketer to 250 wickets and 5,000-plus runs as he scalped the wicket of Adien Markram. He flighted this but undercut it a touch, Markram played back expecting it to grip and sit up, it zipped on with the arm, went through the gate, crashed into middle and leg.
End of over 15, SA- 75/1
After the dismissal of Quinton de Kock, Markram and skipper Faf du Plessis start rebuilding as South Africa reach 75 for one at the end of 15 overs.
[Wicket] 9.4, SA 49/1: Q de Kock run out 23 (32b 4x4 0x6) SR: 71.87
Quinton de Kock was dropped by Mushfiqur Rahim after he edged one to the keeper. But the batsman tries to steal a single and is made run-out.
End of over 5, SA-27/0
The two Proteas openers -- Quinton de Kock and Adien Markram -- started off steadily in chase of the commanding total posted by the Tigers.
Aiden Markram 13 (15b)
Quinton de Kock 14 (15b)
Mustafizur Rahman 3-0-14-0
Mehidy Hasan 2-0-13-0
Tigers post their highest ODI total after Riyad's onslaught
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was optimistic about the big score, saying that it was a defendable score.
"The total is certainly defendable. We knew that it was a good wicket and if we stay in the crease and bat for some time then we can score runs," he said after the innings.
End of over 50, BD-330/6
Mahmudullah Riyad's 33-ball 46 helps the Tigers post a commanding 330 for six -- the highest total in this World Cup -- after Shakib Al Hasan's 75 and Mushfiqur Rahim's 78. This is also Tigers' highest ever total in ODIs.
[Wicket] 48.6, BD-316/6: Mosaddek Hossain c Phehlukwayo b Morris 26 (20b 4x4 0x6) SR: 130.00
Mosaddek chipped one to mid off. Easy catch for the fielder.
47.6, BD-302/5
Mosaddek Hossain plays a Phehlukwayo delivery to the cover and takes a double. That brings up 300 for the Tigers.
42.1, BD 250/5: Mushfiqur Rahim c van der Dussen b Phehlukwayo 78 (80b 8x4 0x6) SR: 97.50
Bangladesh are in a bit of trouble as Mushfiqur Rahim makes room by moving towards the leg side and slaps a short one from pacer Andile Phelukwayo but is caught at deep-point. It's a crucial wicket for the Proteas that changes the texture of the match as Bangladesh were looking to build towards a considerably big total when Mushy and Shakib Al Hasan were batting. Terrible shot to play at this point of the match as Mushy was expected to bat till the end.
39.5, BD - 242/4: Mohammad Mithun b Imran Tahir 21 (21b 2x4 1x6) SR: 100.00
Bangladesh have now lost two crucial wickets in quick sucession after the brilliant partnership between Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim. Mohammad Mithun is the latest wicket to fall as Imran Tahir strikes again with ball going past Mithun's bat and pad and disturbing the stumps. Musfiqur Rahim is going strong at the other end as Mahmudullah Riyad comes in as the new batsman.
35.1, BD-217/3
Shakib Al Hasan attempts to sweep an Imran Tahir delivery but misses it and the ball crashes his middle and leg stump. A 142-run third-wicket partnership between Mushfiqur and Shakib comes to an end.
31.5, BD-200/2
Shakib Al Hasan plays an Imran Tahir delivery to the long on and takes a single as the Tigers reach two hundred.
28.4, BD-181/2
Mushfiq smashes a boundary off Phehlukwayo to reach a well deserved 53 off 52 balls.
Shakib, Mushy script unbeaten hundred-run stand for the third-wicket
Shakib pulls a Morris delivery to take a single. Hundred-run third-wicket partnership comes up for the duo. This is the fifth century stand for these two in ODIs.
End of over 26, 166/2
Shakib top-edges the pull, no one at fine leg. Brave from Shakib to take Morris on. Brings up his fifty and The Oval roars. Scores and scores of Bangladeshi fans in the crowd wave the flag. This has been a very sensible knock.
Shakib Al Hasan 50 (54b)
Mushfiqur Rahim 46 (43b)
Chris Morris 5-0-31-1
Jean-Paul Duminy 1-0-10-0
End of over 25, BD- 160/2
The two experienced duo of Shakib and Mushfiq are building on the strong start by the openers.
Mushfiqur Rahim 45 (42b)
Shakib Al Hasan 45 (49b)
Jean-Paul Duminy 1-0-10-0
Chris Morris 4-0-25-1
Tigers batting sensibly
End of over 20, BD- 124/2
Shakib and Mushfiq are rotating strike well and scoring boundaries when needed as they look to build a much needed partnership for Bangladesh.
Shakib Al Hasan 34 (36b)
Mushfiqur Rahim 20 (25b)
Imran Tahir 2-0-9-0
Aiden Markram 2-0-14-0
End of over 16, BD- 100/2
Tigers reach hundred after a quick start by Tamim and Soumya. After the successive fall of the two openers, the experienced Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim have been playing sensibly to take Bangladesh past the hundred score.
Mushfiqur Rahim 10 (13b)
Shakib Al Hasan 21 (24b)
Chris Morris 3-0-20-1
Andile Phehlukwayo 4-1-14-1
Tamim, Soumya depart after aggressive start
End of over 15, BD- 88/2
Great start, then a fightback from South Africa. Even contest so far. Bangladesh couldn't have asked for a better batting pair to sustain the early momentum.
Mushfiqur Rahim 8 (11b)
Shakib Al Hasan 11 (20b)
Andile Phehlukwayo 4-1-14-1
Chris Morris 2-0-8-1
[Wicket] 11.4, BD 75/2: Soumya Sarkar c †de Kock b Morris 42 (30b 9x4 0x6) SR: 140.00
Soumya departs after a blistering start to the Bangladesh innings.
A short ball gets him due to a lack of pace! It was banged in and angled down leg, he shaped to pull, it held in the surface, he got through the shot too soon, it comes off the gloves and pops up behind him, de Kock sprinted forward dived and took an excellent catch.
End of over 10, BD- 65/1
Shakib Al Hasan and Soumya Sarkar steadying the ship for Bangladesh after the dismissal of Tamim.
Shakib Al Hasan 4 (8b)
Soumya Sarkar 36 (23b)
[Wicket] 8.2, BD-60/1: Tamim Iqbal c †de Kock b Phehlukwayo 16 (29b 2x4 0x6) SR: 55.17
Tamim Iqbal gets squared up on the back foot and edges a back of a lenghth Phehlukwayo delivery and the keeper takes an easy catch. Tamim walks away after scoring 16 off 29 balls.
Tigers off to a steady start
End of over 5, BD- 28/0
Soumya Sarkar smashed two back to back boundaries before edging one between first and second slip to get the third boundary in the fifth over. The left-hander moves on to 18 off 12 deliveries.
Soumya Sarkar 18 (12b)
Tamim Iqbal 8 (18b)
Lungi Ngidi 3-0-21-0
Kagiso Rabada 2-0-6-0
Tigers sent to bat; Tamim and Mosaddek in the XI
South Africa won the toss and chose to field in their second match in the World Cup against Bangladesh at the Kennington Oval in London today.
After the toss, Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza said that everyone is fit to play, inculding the star opener Tamim Iqbal who had a injury scare on Thursday and was uncertain for today's game.
"Good news is that everyone is fit to play and Tamim [Iqbal] is also playing. All the eleven players are playing and everyone is fit to play." said Mashrafe.
Mosaddek Hossain gets the nod ahead of Sabbir Rahman, probably in order to strenghten the spin arsenal of the Tigers.
Match preview direct from the ground by The Daily Star reporters.
Playing XIs:
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehedi Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza (c), Mustafizur Rahman
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis (c), Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, JP Duminy, Andile Phehlukwayo, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Imran Tahir
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