U19 World Cup 2018: 5th place Play-off, BAN v SA, Review: Proteas thump Bangladesh

The Proteas have secured the fifth position in the U19 World Cup.

View : 256

3 Min Read

Fraser Jones v Bangladesh
info
Fraser Jones. (Photo Source: Getty Images)

The eighteenth day of the ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand was a witness to a solitary contest between Bangladesh and South Africa. Both teams locked horns in their quest of claiming the fifth position. While South Africa was knocked out by Pakistan in the Quarter-Final, Bangladesh was thrashed by India. However, the sides thumped their respective oppositions in their erstwhile game.

While Bangladesh avenged their league-stage defeat against England, South Africa drew level with New Zealand in the tournament after their defeat in the league stage. After their victories, both teams wished to claim the fifth spot and finish the tournament on a high. However, South Africa brought forth their A-game and comprehensively humbled Bangladesh by eight wickets.

After Saif Hassan won the toss and elected to bat, Bangladesh found themselves in all sorts of trouble. Fraser Jones and Akhona Mnyaka ripped apart the sub-continent nation’s top order. All the top-order batsmen including the skipper perished for single-digit scores. Subsequently, they were reduced to 33/5 in the ninth over.

However, Afif Hossain and Shakil Hossain came to Bangladesh’s rescue and stitched together a healthy sixth wicket of 96 runs off 113 balls. Afif bagged the Player of the Match in the previous game against England and he replicated his touch against the Proteas. He played fluently and notched a half-century. Gorgeous strokes flowed off his willow and he was also able to clear the ropes a couple of times.

On the other hand, Shakil Hossain didn’t blaze away but held the innings together with a fighting knock of 61 runs off 89 balls. He also scorched six boundaries during his 89-ball stay during the innings and scored a well-compiled half-century. The stand was broken when Afif tried to clear long-on only to find the safe hands of Hermann Rolfes.

Bangladesh stumbled thereafter and there was a procession of wickets which pushed them back. They were eventually bowled out for 178 runs with 50 balls remaining. Fraser Jones was the stand-out performer for South Africa with a five-wicket haul. He also picked up the crucial wicket of Shakil Hossain to jolt the opposition’s hopes of posting a respectable total.

The smooth chase for South Africa

The target wasn’t daunting for the Proteas batsmen by any stretch of the imagination. Bangladesh needed some early wickets to stay alive in the contest. Left-arm seamer Qazi Onik gave Bangladesh their first breakthrough when Jiveshan Pillay fended at an away-going delivery into Shakil Hossain’s webbings. Matthew Breetzke promised in his 61-ball stint but perished to Roni Hossain after scoring 36 runs.

However, the second wicket was Bangladesh’s last moment to rejoice as Raynard van Toner, the Proteas skipper and Hermann Rolfes blazed away to a partnership of 117 runs off 126 balls. The stand also shepherded the Proteas past the finishing line. The skipper was the aggressive partner in the stand with a score of 82 runs off 99 balls.

Rolfes lent him apt support and scored 44 runs. Riding on the stupendous partnership, South Africa romped home without any more hiccups. Fraser Jones was declared the Player of the Match for his masterful spell of bowling. The next game in the tournament will be played between Afghanistan and Pakistan who will fight for the third position after losing their respective semi-final games.

Brief Scores

Bangladesh 178 all out in 41.4 overs; Afif Hossain 63, Shakil Hossain 61; Fraser Jones 5/33, Akhona Mnyaka 3/27

South Africa 180/2 in 38.3 overs; Raynard van Tonder 82*, Hermann Rolfes 44*; Roni Hossain 1/21, Qazi Onik 1/31

South Africa beat Bangladesh by eight wickets

Player of the Match: Fraser Jones

Get every cricket updates! Follow Us:

googletelegraminstagramwhatsappyoutubethreadstwitter

Download Our App

For a better experience: Download the CricTracker app from the IOS and Google Play Store