Day 1 of the Bangladesh-South Africa Test in Durban saw South Africa post 233 for four at Stumps. Resuming their batting duties on Day 2 will be Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verreyne.
To give South Africa a modest advantage in the first Test against Bangladesh at Kingsmead on Thursday, Dean Elgar and Temba Bavuma both scored a half-century. After being brought in to bat, South Africa was 233 for four when bad light interrupted play. Captain Elgar (67) and Sarel Erwee (41) shared an opening partnership of 113, but Bangladesh clawed back before Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne (53 unbeaten) stabilized the innings.
Both Bavuma (53 not out) and Verreynne (27 not out) were unbeaten in their 50th Test appearances. It was Bavuma’s 18th half-century in existence. He has reached one hundred.
The Bangladesh bowlers were unable to take advantage of a well-grassed pitch at the start of the match, as South Africa scored 60 runs in 13 overs without losing a wicket in the first hour.
It was only between lunch and tea that the tourists made a solid comeback, picking up three wickets and limiting the run rate.
Mehidy Hasan, Bangladesh’s off-spinner, had a big day, bowling 26 overs and getting a wicket for 57. Captain Mominul Haque was able to rotate his fast bowlers because he bowled 22 overs in his first spell.
Mehidy, on the other hand, was the star of the show with a spectacular run-out.
His diving stop came as Bavuma drove into the covers while he was fielding at a backward point. To dismiss Keegan Petersen, who had made a solid 19 runs, he kneeled down, scooped up the ball cleanly, and tossed it down the stumps.
Elgar gloved a catch to wicketkeeper Liton Das from a Khaled Ahmed delivery that lifted sharply off a good length on an easy-paced pitch, which offered little assistance to the bowlers.
Ryan Rickelton and Lizard Williams were two of the five players that elected to participate in the Indian Premier League instead of representing South Africa in this year’s World Twenty20.
When Rickelton made 21 before a poor pull shot against Ebadot Hossain, he appeared to be in good shape.
Tamim Iqbal was unable to play for Bangladesh due to illness.
After sightscreen problems at both ends, the ground crew was unable to cover both screens with white material, delaying the start by 35 minutes.
Despite the umpires’ decision to move the playing periods back by half an hour, the umpires were unable to finish a full day of play at South Africa’s most easterly Test field, where low light is frequently an issue.
