Mirupr Test : Bangladesh reach 246/8 against South Africa

Mirpur (Bangladesh), July 30 -  After a good start by Bangladesh on the first day of their second and last cricket Test here on Thursday, South Africa came back strongly claiming five wickets in the final session for the hosts to end the day at 246/8. 

At tea, Bangladesh were 154/3 with Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim at 25 not out and 42 not out, respectively, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. But the hosts then lost five quick wickets after ace pacer Dale Steyn removed Mahmudullah to break their 94-run fourth-wicket stand, reports bdnews24.com.

Earlier, Mominul Haque and Imrul Kayes set Bangladesh off to a good start despite Tamim Iqbal's early departure. Right-armer Steyn signed up in the 400-club in Tests with Iqbal's wicket in the third over of the day.

Iqbal had survived Steyn in his previous over, when Dean Elgar grassed a straight-forward catch at second slip.

Steyn, however, took the opener out as he threw his bat at another to edge one to Hashim Amla in the first slip.

With the dismissal, the 32-year-old seamer became the second South African to reach the milestone after Shaun Pollock and also the joint second-fastest to do it, alongside Richard Hadlee, in terms of matches behind Muttiah Muralitharan.

South African fast bowlers did not give the batsmen room to be comfortable. They kept it tight and attacked with short balls.

Pacer Morne Morkel struck Mominul on the side of the helmet in his second over. But Kayes and Mominul dealt with the bowlers without much trouble and steadied the ship.

Both of them dug deep in their crease to bat patiently and release pressure with occasional boundaries off both the pacers and the spinners.

The duo shepherded Bangladesh over fifty in the 18th over. However, off-spinner Jean-Paul Duminy struck twice in successive overs to remove Mominul (40) and Kayes (30) shortly after lunch break.

Mominul edged him back to Dane Vilas for the debutant wicketkeeper's first international dismissal and then Duminy trapped Kayes leg-before in his next over.

After the 69-run stand was broken, Mahmudullah and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim took control and regained momentum with another steady partnership of 94 runs.

Rahim (65) went back edging spinner Dean Elgar back to the wicketkeeper Dane Vilas.The skipper scored his 15th Test half-century off 79 deliveries with seven boundaries.

Steyn took his second scalp of the day when Mahmudullah (35) flicked a full delivery straight to Temba Bavuma at short midwicket.

The hosts were 220 for 6 in 78 overs with Shakib Al Hasan and Nasir Hossain looking for a partnership but then Shakib fell after scoring 33 runs. Hossain, however is still unbeaten on 13. Mohammad Shahid (1) was the last Bangladesh batsman to walk back as Steyn disturbed his citadel.

(IANS)