Andile Mogakane claimed three wickets to help South Africa Emerging Men seize the upper hand on the opening day of the second and decisive four-day match against Bangladesh Emerging at the Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Tuesday.
The Dafabet Warriors seamer finished the day with 3-20 in 12 overs and had good support from Tshepo Ntuli (2-63) as the hosts were restricted to 242-7 at stumps.
All but two of the home batters were out for single figure scores, but it was those two - Iftakhar Hossain Ifti and Moin Khan - that made the difference after putting together a fine partnership of 179 for the sixth wicket to rescue their team.
Opener Ifti made a superb 109 (291 balls, 14 fours) and No 7 Khan helped him with a defiant 91 (159 balls, 15 fours) with the pair rescuing the hosts from a dire 58-5 at one stage to end the day in a far better position.
After the first match was drawn, mainly on account of the weather in Chattogram, Bangladesh won the toss and batted on Tuesday.
However, they ran into all sorts of trouble early on. First Nqobani Mokoena (1-46) dislodged Ashiqur Rahman Shibli for a duck, before Mogakane’s triple blow left the home side limping on 49-4.
Things got even worse when Ntuli go rid of Pritom Kumar for two.
But Iftakhar was patient at the other end as he and Moin absorbed the pressure to hit back with their huge century stand.
It was eventually broken by Dian Forrester (1-21) when he got rid of Moin nine short of his century, with the other dangerman then taken out by Ntuli in the penultimate over of the day as the South Africans shifted momentum back their way.
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).
FOUR-DAY MATCHES
Tuesday, 20 May – Friday, 23 May
Bangladesh Emerging drew with South Africa Emerging – Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury, Chattogram
Tuesday, 27 May – Friday, 30 May at 09:30
Bangladesh Emerging v South Africa Emerging – Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka