Rakibul Hasan starred with both bat and ball to ensure there was no come-from-behind series win for South Africa Emerging Men after they suffered a 34-run loss in the decisive one-day match against Bangladesh Emerging at the Shahid Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi on Friday.
The slow left-armer first frustrated the tourists with a vital 42 from his number 10 batting spot – a performance that helped the hosts scramble their way to 225 – before claiming four for 26 to restrict the reply to 191 all out and seal the series with a 2-1 scoreline.
It was a tough loss for the South Africans, especially after running the home side close in both previous matches when they twice scored above 300 after batting first.
Tsepo Ndwandwa was the top performer thanks to his three for 28, while Tiaan van Vuuren grabbed two for 41 and hit a top score of 40. Three other players hit 30s, but no one kicked on in what turned out to be a vital miss for the away side.
After winning the toss and fielding, the bowlers did well to restrict Bangladesh to what looked like an under-par total.
They had the home batters in trouble from the start when Chowdhury Rizwan was dismissed for a duck by van Vuuren, who also accounted for Mahfijul Islam (26). Rayhan Rahman (19) and Ariful Islam (11) were two of the other victims for the SA bowlers as they had the hosts four down for 63 inside the first 15 overs.
NDWANDWA MAGIC
Spinner Ndwandwa worked his magic thereafter by adding three scalps to his name, including that of the dangerous Akbar Ali (38), leaving the total on 118 for seven. And when Wasi Siddiquee was run out for a duck by Meeka-eel Prince and George van Heerden on the same total, the South Africans were ecstatic as the end looked near.
However, Bangladesh international Hasan and innings top-scorer Mahfuzur Rabby (58 off 77 balls, 5 fours, 3 sixes) produced a defining rearguard stand worth 84 for the ninth wicket to carry their side above 200. The latter was finally last man out to Nqobani Mokoena (1/42), the hosts bowled out with 4.1 overs to spare.
Despite their late defiance, the total looked short. But the South Africans did not capitalise and were themselves dismissed in only 38.2 overs.
Van Heerden (34) gave them a fair start, even though Meeka-eel Prince (2) and Richard Seletswane (5) fell cheaply at the other end.
Andile Mokgakane (35) then continued his good form, though he failed to kick on. He took the visitors to 80 when he became Hasan’s third victim.
Two of the stars of the previous game, Dian Forrester (6) and Connor Esterhuizen (5) were next to fall either side of Romashan Pillay (0) as the visitors’ woes deepened at 94 for seven.
Bowlers van Vuuren, Mokoena (37) and Tshepo Ntuli (17) did their best to stem the flow of wickets from there, but there were still too many to get as the tourists fell short.
The two side meet in the first of two four-day matches, starting in Chattogram, on Sunday.
SA Emerging Men’s Squad against Bangladesh Emerging
George van Heerden (captain, Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Connor Esterhuizen (DP World Lions), Muhammad Manack (DP World Lions), Dian Forrester (Knights), Dewan Marais (Eastern Storm), Andile Mogakane (Dafabet Warriors), Nqobani Mokoena (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Tshepo Ndwandwa (Momentum Multiply Titans), Tshepo Ntuli (Northern Cape Heat), Romashan Pillay (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Meeka-eel Prince (Renault North West Dragons), Andile Simelane (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Richard Seletswane (DP World Lions), Tiaan van Vuuren (Knights), and Ntandoyenkosi Zuma (ACDC Express Tuskers).
Fixtures (all times local)
One-Day Matches
Monday, 12 May at 09:00
Bangladesh Emerging beat South Africa Emerging by 3 wickets – Shahid Kamruzzaman Stadium, Rajshahi
Wednesday, 14 May at 09:00
Bangladesh Emerging lost to South Africa Emerging by 10 runs – Shahid Kamruzzaman Stadium, Rajshahi
Friday, 16 May at 09:00
Bangladesh Emerging beat South Africa Emerging by 34 runs – Shahid Kamruzzaman Stadium, Rajshahi
Four-Day Matches
Sunday, 20 May – Wednesday, 23 May at 09:30
Bangladesh Emerging v South Africa Emerging – Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury, Chattogram
Sunday, 27 May – Wednesday, 30 May at 09:30
Bangladesh Emerging v South Africa Emerging – Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka