Sports Desk: Bangladesh suffered a heartbreaking four-run defeat to South Africa after failing to hold their nerve at a crunch moment in their second game of the T20 World Cup at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Monday.
With requiring 11 runs to win in the last over, Bangladesh went for glory shots instead of playing smart cricket which played a vital role in their slender margin defeat.
South Africa played a gamble by giving left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj the last over but he rose to the occasion impeccably to give away just six runs and took two wickets as Bangladesh were restricted to 109-7 in the chase of South Africa’s 113-6.
On a tricky pitch, Bangladesh lost wickets early when Kagiso Rabada had Tanzid Hasan Tamim caught by de Kock behind the wicket for 9 and Maharaj then struck with the wicket of Liton Das.
Anrich Nortje who was in superb form struck twice by dismissing Shakib Al Hasan and (3) and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (14) who opened the innings with Tanzid. He eventually claimed 2-17 from four overs to stifle Bangladesh at the halfway through the innings.
With Bangladesh at 50-4, it still looked their game and the belief was further bolstered when Towhid Hridoy and Mahmudullah Riyad combined for a small but crucial 44-run for the fifth wicket.
Hridoy top-scored with 37 off 34 with two fours and as many sixes before Rabada had him trapped leg-before to finish with 2-19.
With Mahmudullah at the crease, Bangladesh still is believed to sneak home somehow. Ottneil Baartmen though didn’t get any wicket, he delivered a good penultimate over, leaving Bangladesh 11 runs to win in the last over.
Maharaj however defended the game smartly and boldly as he lured the batters to go for all out attack rather then depending on quick singles and twos. His high risk strategy paid off terrifically as both Jaker Ali Anik and Mahmudullah went for glory shots to give their wicket.
Maharaj returned figures of 3-27 in four overs to be the best bowler of South African in manic afternoon in New York.
Earlier, Bangladesh bowlers once again put up a disciplined bowling show to restrict South Africa for just 113-6, a total that was below par, whatever the wicket was.
All of the Bangladeshi bowlers maintained a nagging line and length in a pitch which was a home like wicket for them out of home.
After the captain Aiden Markram surprisingly opted to bat first in a pitch where batting first is believed to be suicidal, Quinton de started with a brace of boundaries but Tanzim got the wicket of Reeza Hendricks for duck to help the side make a good start.
He then claimed the big wicket of de Kock who made 18 and Tristan Stubbs for a duck before Taskin got the better of Aiden Markram (4), leaving South Africa a precarious 23-4 in just 4.2 overs.
Henrich Klaasen and David Miller, the two natural stroke-makers put the ego behind to make a slow recovery and it initially looked paid off as they shared 79-run for the fifth wicket. They took 81 balls for that partnership, which slowed down the innings considerably.
However their plan to go for all out attack in the death overs didn’t work with Taskin rattling the stump of Klaasen after he made team-best 46 off 44 with two fours and three sixes.
In the next over, Rishad undid Miller with a delivery that had extra bounce and knock his stump. He scored 29 off 38 with one four and one six.
Bangladesh bowlers then curbed the aggression of Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj with excellent bowling, giving the batters a mediocre target to chase.
