South Africa demolish Bangladesh to keep semi-final hopes alive

The Proteas bowled their opponents out for just 84 before completing their chase inside 14 overs to pick up a valuable two points and boost their net run rate to 0.742

Abu Dhabi: Bangladesh 84, South Africa 86-4 - South Africa won by six wickets

Scorecard

South Africa have demolished Bangladesh by six wickets in Abu Dhabi to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.

The Proteas bowled their opponents out for just 84 before completing their chase inside 14 overs to pick up a valuable two points and boost their net run rate to 0.742. Bangladesh, who are winless after four matches, are eliminated.

South Africa were on top from the start, with Kagiso Rabada picking up three wickets inside the powerplay to reduce Bangladesh to 28 for 3.

Mohammad Naim was the first to depart, caught by Reeza Hendricks at midwicket for nine, and was immediately joined in the changing rooms by Soumya Sarkar, pinned lbw for a first-ball duck. Rabada was unlucky to miss out on a hat-trick at the start of the sixth over but got his third two balls later, Hendricks stopping a rocket from Mushfiqur Rahim with two hands at gully before regathering the ball just before it hit the grass.

Anrich Nortje got in on the act two overs later, removing skipper Mahmudullah for three (caught Aiden Markram), before Dwaine Pretorius bowled Afif Hossain to make it two in two for South Africa.

^{Kagiso Rabada was the player of the match}

Bangladesh limped to 39 for 5 at drinks and lost their sixth wicket three balls later, Tabraiz Shamsi trapping Liton Das lbw to remove the wicketkeeper for a determined 24 (36 balls).

Mahedi Hasan gave Bangladesh’s fans something to cheer about in the 13th over, dispatching Keshav Maharaj for four – Bangladesh’s first since the third over – before sharing a 19-run stand with Shamim Hossain to stem the flow of wickets.

However, when Hossain was caught by Maharaj on the boundary (bowled Shamsi) in the 16th over, it sparked a collapse which saw Bangladesh lose four wickets for 20 runs. Taskin Ahmed was the next to depart, run out by Temba Bavuma, before Nortje mopped up Hasan (caught and bowled) and Nasum Ahmed (hit wicket) to finish the innings in 18.2 overs.

Rabada finished with career-best figures of 3 for 20 while Nortje took 3 for 8 and extended his run to 15.2 overs without being hit for a six.

Bangladesh put up a strong fight in defence of 84, taking three wickets of their own in the opening six overs to reduce South Africa to 33 for 3.

Ahmed struck with the final delivery of the first over, removing Hendricks lbw, before Hasan snared de Kock in the fifth, bowling the wicketkeeper for 16 after being struck for back-to-back fours earlier in the over. Ahmed collected his second of the day with the penultimate delivery of the powerplay, Mohammad Naim capturing Markham at wide slip, and the pacer completed his four-over spell with figures of 2 for 18.

However, requiring 44 runs off the remaining 12 overs, the result was never really in doubt. A 47-run partnership between Rassie van der Dussen and Bavuma brought South Africa to within five runs of victory before a stunning catch from Shoriful Islam removed the former and temporarily stalled the victory procession.

A pair of singles followed before David Miller dispatched Hasan for four to finish the match in style.