Taijul, Khaled help Bangladesh share honours

Dhaka, 8 April —Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam and fast bowler Khaled Ahmed kept South Africa in check on the opening day of the second Test by sharing five wickets between them at Port Elizabeth today.

South Africa made a good start but Taijul and Khaled struck late to reduce them to 278-5 at stumps.

Kyle Verreynne was batting on 10 with Wiaan Mulder who is yet to score despite facing 19 deliveries.

Taijul, one of the two changes of Bangladesh along with Tamim Iqbal for this Test after a 220-run loss to the first game, ended the day with 3-77 while Khaled finished with 2-59.  

Dean Elager top-scored for the hosts with 70, his consecutive third half-century, having scored 67 and 64 in the first Test. Keegan Petersen added 64 and Temba Bavuma contributed 67.

Bavuma’s wicket late at the day indeed helped Bangladesh share the honours.

Following South Africa’s decision to bat first, Khaled broke through with the wicket of Sarel Erwee (24) after he and Elgar put on 52 for the opening stand.

Khaled could have got Erwee on 4 during the third over of the day when he beat his front foot defense. The umpire turned down his appeal but Bangladesh didn’t take any review. Later the HawkEye showed the ball could have crashed the stump.

South Africa went to the lunch with 107-1. After the lunch session Taijul Islam got reward for his tight line and length with the prized scalp of Deal Elgar who nicked one behind the wicket. Elgar struck 10 fours for his 89 ball-70.

Taijul then got another big one after the game resumed following a spell of shower in the second session. He trapped Petersen leg-before for 64 to break a 51-run partnership between him and Bavuma.

Petersen hit nine fours in his innings for which he played 124 balls. Bavuma however kept South Africa unscathed till the tea session and threatened to take the game away.

Taijul came up to strike again and this time took the wicket of Ryan Rickelton for 42. He was given not out after edging a delivery to Yasir Ali but Bangladesh overturned the decision through review.

Khaled Ahmed who bowled tirelessly gave Bangladesh an occasion o exalt just five overs before the day’s play ended when he forced Bavuma to edge a length delivery to slip. Bavuma smote seven boundaries for his 162 ball-knock.

Bangladesh opened the bowling with Mehidy Hasan Miraz alongside Syed Khaled Ahmed and in doing so, became the first team in Port Elizabeth’s Gqeberha ground to open with spin since 1889.

But Miraz who took six wickets in the first Test, couldn’t give any torrid time to the batters and went wicket-less on day one after bowling 19 overs for 58 runs.