Bangladesh A 229 for 4
(Ashraful 118*, Siddique 60) beat South Africa A 226 for 8 (Philander
79*, Elgar 76, Ashraful 3-27) by six wickets
Mohammad
Ashraful shone with both ball and bat to lead his Bangladesh A side to a
six-wicket victory against South Africa A at Buffalo Park in East
London, in the first of five unofficial ODIs. Only 10 days ago South
Africa had been battering Bangladesh in a four-day match, and in their
home conditions were firm favourites to dominate the 50-over matches as
well. However, the experienced Ashraful, who has alone played more
one-day internationals than the entire South Africa A side combined,
took 3 for 27 with his part-time spin to restrict South Africa to 226,
and then scored an unbeaten century to help his side chase the target in
43.3 overs.
Ashraful put
South Africa in to bat, and after his frontline bowlers couldn't get an
early wicket, it fell to him to come on in the 10th over and dismiss his
opposing captain Jacques Rudolph. Ashraful struck twice more in a
seven-over spell, leaving South Africa reeling at 52 for 3. Things got
worse for the hosts as Farhaan Behardien was bowled by left-arm spinner
Elias Sunny, Vaughn van Jaarsveld was run out, and Heino Kuhn was caught
trying to drive 19-year-old offspinner Nasir Hossain. At 73 for 6,
South Africa looked like they would struggle to get 150.
There was a
recovery though; Dean Elgar, fresh from his 169 not out in the
rain-affected second four-day game between the two sides, put together a
121-run partnership with allrounder Vernon Philander. The two batted
until the 49th over, when Elgar fell for 76. Philander then hit three
consecutive sixes off Farhad Reza in the same over, and South Africa
took another 11 runs off the 50th to finish with a fighting total of 226
for 8. Philander finished 79 not out.
The target
started looking steep for Bangladesh when they found themselves 40 for 3
in the 12th over. Ashraful, coming in at No 5, was watchful early on,
taking 28 balls before striking his first boundary. He had reached 21
off 44 before he suddenly exploded with Bangladesh at 84 for 3 in the
23rd over. Ashraful hit the next six balls he faced for boundaries, and
Bangladesh seized control of the chase. Ashraful continued to attack in
bursts, with Junaid Siddique rotating the strike at the other end.
The two put
together 149 before Siddique fell for 60, but by then the game was
Bangladesh's to lose. Ashraful reached his century soon after Siddique's
dismissal, and then ended the game with two consecutive boundaries in
the 44th over, finishing 118 not out off 99 balls. It was a significant
performance from a man who was once considered the future of Bangladesh
cricket, but has now found himself relegated to the A team.
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