Bangladesh News

Bangladesh rode on a scintillating performance of Mohammed Ashraful and later turned in an inspired bowling and fielding performance to romp to a famous 67-run victory over number one ranked South Africa in their World Cup Super Eights encounter at the Guyana National Stadium in the early hours of Sunday.

The win not only completed a remarkable turnaround for the Tigers following two heavy defeats against Australia and New Zealand but also confirmed their first-ever success against the Proteas in the abridged version of the game following seven previous defeats.

An injured Herschelle Gibbs, batting with a runner, was the only batsman to offer any resistance scoring an unbeaten 56, which ultimately proved futile as the Proteas folded for 184 in 48.3 overs in pursuit of the Tigers 251, built around Ashraful’s brilliant 87.

It was also Bangladesh’s highest score in seventeen World Cup games eclipsing their 223-9 against Pakistan in 1999.

Bangladesh’s moment of glory came when number eleven Makhaya Ntini top-edged an attempted slog off left arm spinner Abdur Razzak to cover where Mashrafe Bin Mortaza took a running catch.

Razzak was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-25 of 9.4 overs.

Showing great agility on the field coupled with disciplined bowling, Bangladesh never allowed the Africans to gain any momentum.

Left-arm seamer Syed Rasel made the early inroads with his nagging line and length capturing the prize scalps of Graeme Smith (12) and Jacques Kallis (32).

Smith was castled while trying to make room to force one down to third-man while an uncharacteristically aggressive Kallis fell to a catch by Tamim Iqbal to give Rasel impressive figures of 2-41 off his 10 overs.

In a deteriorating pitch, fast favouring the spinners the chance of an upset looked a reality when Razzak foxed AB de Villiers (15) with a straighter delivery.

Aftab Ahmed and Mohammed Rafique then combined to run out Ashwell Prince (1) and leave the Africans sweating.

But it was left arm-spinner Shakib Al Hasan who tilted the balance totally towards the Tigers with a double salvo in successive deliveries in the 27th over leaving the Proteas at 87-6.

He had Mark Boucher (12) hole out to mid-off after the batsman had hit him for six the previous delivery. The youngster then took a low return catch to dismiss Justin Kemp (7) off the very next delivery.

And any chance of a South Africa comeback evaporated when Tamim Iqbal brilliantly ran out Shaun Pollock (17).

Earlier, prodigal son Mohammad Ashraful hit the highest score by a Bangladesh batsman in World Cups with a sparkling 87 as the Tigers survived Andre Nel’s maiden five-wicket haul to post a challenging 251-8 off 50 overs.

Bangladesh were struggling at 84-4 following fast bowler Nel’s early triple-strike before Ashraful (87) and Aftab Ahmed (35) steadied the innings with a 76-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Both men played intelligently, checking their usual brashness with measured knocks that helped the Tigers post their best batting performance in the World Cup.

Man-of-the-match Ashraful completed his 11th half-century in the shorter form of the game by lofting fast bowler Makhaya Ntini for a straight four and then went on to hit two more boundaries in the same over.

He then improvised brilliantly to help the Tigers cross the 250-run barrier. He struck 12 four in his 83-ball knock, his best since scoring 94 against England at Trent Bridge in 2005.

He was ably supported by Mashrafe Bin Mortaza who bludgeoned his way to a 16-ball 25 with 3 fours and a six during a 54 run partnership of 34 balls for the seventh wicket.

It was however Aftab who started the onslaught after he hit Justin Kemp for two sixes in one over.

The Tigers had started brightly after being put in by Smith, who expected sideways movement on an overcast morning.

Pollock and Makhaya Ntini bowled a searching opening spell that openers Javed Omar and Tamim Iqbal managed to see off.

Javed scored a slightly laborious 17 before being Nel’s first victim.

The driven quick bowler, in the side in place of Andrew Hall, then went on to capture the wickets of captain Habibul Bashar (5) and Tamim Iqbal (38).

Although Bashar offered little resistance after promoting himself up the order, Tamim was just beginning to look good before falling pray to his own impetuosity, nicking a wild heave to wicketkeeper Boucher.

Nel was the most successful South Africa bowler with 5-45 off his 10 overs.