LIVE – Bangladesh v South Africa – Zimbabwe Twenty20 Triangular Series (2nd Match) – First innings Update – South Africa set 210-run target for Bangladesh
A fluent 88 from stand-in skipper Hashim Amla enabled South Africa to set Bangladesh a target of 210 in the 2nd match of the ongoing Zimbabwe Twenty20 Triangular Series at the Harare Sports Club today on June 19.
South Africa went into the match with their very participation in the series being targeted by critics back home. In addition to the fact that the series is a minor, unofficial event, the gap in rankings between the Proteas, and Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, is significant – South Africa occupy the second spot on the ICC’s Test, ODI, and T20 rankings, while the other two are in the bottom five in the ODI rankings, with the Tigers not featuring at all in the T20 rankings, while the Rhodesians are absent from the Test table.
Added to this is the fact that South Africa have an upcoming Test tour of England, and while coach Gary Kirsten has insisted that their participation in the T20 tri-series is meant to prepare them for the ICC T20 World Cup in September this year, critics are not convinced. Prominent among them is former South Africa selector Hugh Paige, who has voiced the concern that an excess of T20 exposure will weaken the team as they attempt to unseat England from their top spot on the Test rankings during the extended-overs series they are due to play this summer.
Nevertheless, South Africa went into the series, led by Amla who stepped in for rested skipper AB de Villiers. After a slight delay owing to confusion regarding the timings of the match on the Proteas’ side, Amla won the toss and elected to bat first.
The Proteas skipper (88 off 53) and Richard Levi (37 off 21) opened the innings for their team, and went on to establish a solid 70-run opening stand.
Levi was dismissed in the 7th over, caught and bowled by Ziaur Rahman. He was followed to the crease by Colin Ingram, who chipped in with an individual score of 29, in addition to setting up a 65-run partnership with the skipper. Amla proved to be the anchor of his team’s innings, and stuck it out at the crease throughout.
By the time Ingram was run out in the 14th over, the Proteas had managed to reach an easy 135 for 2. Albie Morkel’s contribution of 22 propelled them to 185 by the 19th over, after which the 31-year-old left-hander was caught out by Mushfiqur Rahim off Mashrafe Mortaza.
Coming in during the second-last over, Jean-Paul Duminy contributed a quick-fire 23 off 7 balls, and the Proteas managed to post a total of 209 by the end of 20 overs.
While formidable pacers such as Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn are absent from the line-up, South Africa have the expertise of Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Albie Morkel, Robin Peterson, and youngster Marchant de Lange to fall back on as they look to defend their total against the Tigers.
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