Dhaka: Skipper Faf du Plessis scored an unbeaten half century to set up a crushing 52-run win for South Africa over Bangladesh in the first Twenty20 international in Dhaka on Sunday.
South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis plays a shot during the match. (Photo: AP)
Du Plessis helped the visitors recover from a shaky start with an unbeaten 79 off 61 balls, his sixth half-century in Twenty20 internationals, which included eight fours.
JP Duminy celebrates with his teammate AB de Villiers after the dismissal of Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim. (Photo: AP)
Off-spinner JP Duminy (2-11), medium pacer David Wiese (2-12) and fast bowler Kagiso Rabada (2-28) then put in a combined effort to dismiss Bangladesh for 96 runs on a slow wicket at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
Shakib Al Hassan plays a shot during the match. (Photo: AP)
Shakib Al Hasan was the only batsman to offer some kind of resistance with 26 off 30 balls while debutante Litton Das made 22 off 33 balls. Bangladesh lost both their openers for 13 runs but seemed to have recovered when Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim (17) put 37 runs for the second wicket.
The game decisively swung the Proteas' way when Duminy dismissed Rahim and Sabbir Rahman (4) in his successive overs and left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso removed Nasir Hossain for one as Bangladesh collapsed from 2-50 to 5-57.
Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza leaps in joy after catching AB de Villiers. (Photo: AFP)
Earlier, opting to bat first, South Africa struggled to keep the scoreboard rolling. Bangladesh started with spinners from both ends and struck almost immediately with left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny dismissing AB de Villiers in the very first over for two.
De Villiers opened the innings only the second time in his Twenty20 international career and conceded four dots before he picked up Mashrafe Mortaza at cover in the last ball of the over.
Quinton de Kock tried to break the shackle with a six off Nasir over cover but soon became a catch of Das off the same bowler at point for 12.
Sunny returned for his second spell to break a 46-run third wicket partnership between du Plessis and Duminy as Nasir took a well-judged catch at the deep to dismiss the latter for 18.
Shakib Al Hasan celebrates the wicket of David Miller. (Photo: AFP)
Shakib trapped David Miller leg-before for one but Du Plessis added 58 runs in an unbroken fifth wicket stand with Rilee Rossouw (31 not out) to take South Africa to a respectable total.
Rossouw faced 21 balls and hit two fours and as many sixes for his cameo. Sunny finished with 2-19 for Bangladesh. The second and final match of the two-match series will be held at the same grounds on Tuesday.
