Bangladesh staring at defeat after another batting debacle

A wretched batting show left Bangladesh at knife-edge of another shambolic defeat as they were reduced to 27-3, chasing a target of 413 against South Africa on day three of the second and final Test at Port Elizabeth today.

Bangladesh lost the first Test in Durban by 220 runs. They still need 386 runs to win the game and avoid the whitewash which looked unlikeky given the way batters threw away their wicket. Fresh from his historic century in the first Test, Mahmudul Hasan Joy saw the other side of the coin, getting a pair of duck in the Test.

Najmul Hossain Shanto played bad shot to be out on 7. Keshav Maharaj took the wicket of both of them to finish the day with 2-17. Another spinner Simon Harmer (1-8) spun one viciously past Tamim Iqbal to get him for 13 just before the stumps.

South Africa earlier declared the second innings on 176-6, setting a 413-run target for Bangladesh to win the game. Opener Sarel Erwee was the top-scorer with 41 while Kyle Verreynne was not out on 39. Temba Bavuma added 30.

Taijul Islam took 3-67 in this innings, following his 6-135 in the first innings. Offspinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz grabbed 2-34 while fast bowler Khaled Ahmed picked up one. Bangladesh were shot out for just 217 in its first innings, replying to South Africa's 453. And thereby they conceded a huge 236-run lead.

The Tigers indeed lost the last five wickets for 25 runs either side of the lunch session on day three.

Bangladesh were still 37 runs behind to avoid the follow-on, however South Africa didn't enforce the follow-on, choosing to bat for the second time in the match. Mushfiqur Rahim was the top-scorer for the side 51, while opener Tamim Iqbal made 47. Yasir Ali was the other notable contributor with 46.

Mushfiqur and Yasir began the day on 139-5, with a fear of follow-on. However Yasir started the day with a boundary and scored briskly to reverse the pressure on South Africa. While Yasir went fluently, Mushfiqur Rahim adopted the policy of going slowly and the strategy served the team well.

Keshav Maharaj struck against the play, taking out Yasir with a return catch after the batter hit seven fours for his 87-ball-knock. Mushfiqur then swept Simon Harmer for boundary through square leg to bring up his 25th half-century off 134 balls.

But two balls later he played a needless reverse sweep to gift his wicket to Harmer as Bangladesh were reduced to 210-7. The last three batters however could add just seven runs as Bangladesh were dismissed just 10 minutes after the lunch session.

Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer took all five wickets of Bangladesh on day three. Harmer and Wiaan Mulder ended with three wickets apiece while Maharaj and Duanne Olivier took two wickets each.