South Africa defended their lowest ever target in T20Is to bring up a narrow 4-run victory over Bangladesh and all but progressed into the next round at this T20 World Cup. Their third win on the bounce once again saw them find a way to win from a difficult situation, what with winning the toss and tottering at 23 for 4 inside the PowerPlay. But getting to a total of 113 proved handy in the end as Bangladesh lacked the power and muscle for the big hits down the order on what was another tacky pitch in New York.
Just how close was it?
Very. In the run-chase, the second ball of the 17th over ran off Mahmudullah’s front pad to the fence but he was given lbw on field, the review upholding that decision with umpire’s call and it meant that those four leg byes didn’t count.
What made the difference?
Heinrich Klaasen’s innings.
Coming in to bat at No. 5 when the chips were down, Klaasen scored 46 off 44 and was aptly named the Player of the Match, his knock featuring 2 fours and 3 sixes. His innings saw him bat in different gears: he was defensive against the seamers early on before chancing his arms against the spin of Rishad Hossain and reaping rewards. His partnership with David Miller ensured that South Africa didn’t lose any wicket in the middle overs (7-15), which helped them set a target worth bowling for.
South Africa
PowerPlay: Tanzim Sakib blows SA away
Phase Score: 25/4 (RR: 4.16, 4s/6s: 2/2)
As if making South Africa rethink their decision to bat first almost immediately, Tanzim Sakib struck thrice in the first six overs and reduced them to 25/4 at the end of it. It happened to be South Africa’s third lowest PowerPlay score in T20 World Cups despite the intent and aggression from Quinton de Kock, who got going with a 6 and a 4 in the first over of the innings but couldn’t keep at it for too long; he was bowled in the third over by Sakib who got one to keep low. Reeza Hendricks, in turn, fell in Sakib’s first over by an incoming delivery whereas Tristan Stubbs poked one to cover. In the middle of all this mayhem from one end, Taskin Ahmed struck from the other with the prized wicket of Aiden Markram, who was undone and bowled by seam movement.
Middle overs: Klaasen and Miller rebuild
Phase Score: 59/0 (RR: 6.56, 4s/6s: 3/3)
After an indifferent PowerPlay that saw South Africa put together three 1-run overs, the middle overs were a little kinder. While the scoring rate remained slow, the wickets didn’t tumble at all during this phase of the innings, thanks to Klaasen and David Miller who got together and put on a solid partnership that helped South Africa somewhat recover. Klaasen took on legspinner Rishad Hossain with a couple of sixes in the 10th over, delivering South Africa to 57/4 at the halfway mark in the innings while Miller tried his hand against the pacers and managed to clear the fence off Mustafizur Rahman’s bowling. It of course didn’t help that Miller was dropped on 13 by Litton Das behind the wickets, the bowler being Mahmudullah.
Death overs: Bangladesh hold back SA
Phase Score: 29/2 (RR: 5.80, 4s/6s: 2/2)
The final flourish never came for South Africa. Maybe it was never coming on another tacky pitch at the venue. The only time South Africa could go past the boundary cushions was when Klaasen managed to hit a six off Mahmudullah but soon after, he couldn’t keep out a low-bouncing straight ball from Taskin. In the next over, the penultimate of the innings, Miller missed a slog-sweep against Rishad and was bowled. The phase also saw Sakib bowl out early and finish with fantastic figures of 3 for 18. Only 13 runs came off the final three overs as South Africa were restricted to 113/6 in 20 overs.
Bangladesh
PowerPlay: Bangladesh minimize damage
Phase Score: 29/1 (RR: 4.83, 4s/6s: 3/1)
Losing only one wicket against the new ball, and on that kind of a pitch, gave the head start to Bangladesh in the run-chase. Marco Jansen kick-started the proceedings with the ball with a neat one-run over, something which Kagiso Rabada wasn’t able to double down on from the other end. Tanzid Hasan took the latter on with back to back boundaries, only to play one shot too many and edge behind to Rabada later in the over. Nazmul Hasan Shanto and Litton Das then worked their way through the PowerPlay with no more damage.
Middle overs: Tug of war between runs and wickets
Phase Score: 54/3 (RR: 6, 4s/6s: 3/2)
As soon as the fielding restrictions were done with, Maharaj came into the attack and struck with his first delivery, a full toss that had Litton caught at cover. Anrich Nortje then got into the act, getting the big wickets of Shakib Al Hasan and Shanto with short deliveries in back to back overs. For the next five overs, Mahmudullah and Towhid Hridoy consolidated and added a steady 33 runs, with the former even getting a reprieve on 10 at slip by Jansen.
Death overs: Bangladesh can’t find the big hits
Phase Score: 26/3 (RR: 5.2, 4s/6s: 1/0)
31 runs were needed off the final five overs. Doable, very doable, especially with two well set batters out there. Nortje, who had ripped through Bangladesh’s middle over, was also done and dusted by the 16th over, finishing with figures of 2 for 17. But that’s when South Africa tightened the grip further and allowed only one boundary in the final five overs. Markram admirably kept the field up, denying Bangladesh easy singles. Rabada, bowling the 18th over, conceded only 2 runs and picked the all important wicket of a well-set Hridoy (37 off 34) by trapping him in front. Ottneil Baartman then bowled the 19th over for 7 runs, leaving Maharaj to defend 11 runs in the final over. And he did that clumsily, getting away with three full tosses that Mahmudullah and Jaker Ali couldn’t find the boundary off. In fact, with 6 needed off 2 balls, Mahmudullah was caught metres inside the straight boundary by Markram, who took his fourth catch of the day in the outfield.
Brief Scores: South Africa 113/6 (Klaasen 46; Sakib 3-18) beat Bangladesh 109/7 (Hridoy 37; Maharaj 3-27) by 4 runs
What next?
Both South Africa and Bangladesh now travel to Kingstown, St Vincent for their next matches. South Africa play Nepal on Friday whereas Bangladesh take on Netherlands on Thursday.
