Bangladesh were eyeing a major upset on Saturday after bowling out South Africa cheaply and building a solid lead on a thrilling second day's play in the opening Test. Lanky fast bowler Shahadat Hossain picked up a career-best 6-27 to help Bangladesh bowl out their mighty rivals for 170 inside 61 overs, a first innings advantage of 22 runs.
The hosts, who made 192 in their first knock, swelled the overall lead to 147, reaching 125-4 at stumps on an already deteriorating pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla Mirpur stadium.
Young Junaid Siddique led the charge with an unbeaten 64 off 158 balls, including five fours, as Bangladesh raised hopes of only their second ever Test victory. The opener put on 56 runs for the fourth wicket with captain Mohammad Ashraful (24), who earlier plotted a bizarre dismissal of South African batsman A.B. de Villiers.
Aftab Ahmed, batting on 13, was giving Siddique company when stumps were drawn for the day amid frowns and creased foreheads in the visiting camp. Hossain however said it was too early to predict the outcome of the match as the wicket was keeping slow and low.
"The game is very much on. There is not much pace and movement in the wicket and it would all depend on the morning session tomorrow," he said. The 22-year-old paceman also credited his performance to some solid advice by coach Jamie Siddons. "He asked me to bowl at the right spot as the pitch was not offering much assistance. I did that and got the results."
Bangladesh, who lost all their previous four Tests to South Africa by innings margins, have won just one of their 51 Tests - against minnows Zimbabwe. The South Africans tried to stage a comeback through Dale Steyn (3-38) who cleaned up the Bangladeshi top order in a three-wicket burst. Opener Tamim Iqbal (two) was done in by a late inswinger while Shahriar Nafees (16) was trapped leg before soon after.
Ashraful then became the first victim of Makhaya Ntini in the match when he edged one behind to Mark Boucher for 24 which included one four and a six. But Siddique held anchor at one end to ensure there were no further setbacks for the host team.
Bangladesh owed their performance to Hossain as well as the move by Ashraful to bring himself into the attack and claim the crucial wicket of de Villiers (46).
SCOREBOARD:
BANGLADESH 1ST INNINGS: 192 (A. Ahmed 44, M. Ashraful 34; M. Morkel 5-50)
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South Africa 1st innings
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N. Mckenzie lbw b Hossain 5
G. Smith b Hossain 10
H. Amla lbw b Rafique 25
J. Kallis b Rafique 17
A. Prince run out 10
J. Botha lbw b Hossain 25
A.B. de Villiers c and b Ashraful 46
M. Boucher lbw b Hossain 11
M. Morkel c Rahim b Hossain 1
D. Steyn b Hossain 7
M. Ntini not out 3
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Extras: (b1, lb5, w1, nb3) 10
Total: (all out) 170
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Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Smith), 2-19 (Mckenzie), 3-54 (Amla), 4-69 (Kallis), 5-77 (Prince), 6-145 (de Villiers), 7-156 (Botha), 8-158 (Morkel), 9-163 (Boucher), 10-170 (Steyn).
Bowling: Mortaza 9-1-43-0 (w1), Hossain 15.3-8-27-6 (nb2), Rafique 25-6-55-2 (nb1), Shakib Al Hasan 10-6-30-0, Ashraful 1-0-9-1.
Overs: 60.3.
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Bangladesh 2nd innings
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Junaid Siddique not out 64
Tamim Iqbal b Steyn 2
Shahriar Nafees lbw b Steyn 16
Habibul Bashar lbw b Steyn 2
Mohammad Ashraful c Boucher b Ntini 24
Aftab Ahmed not out 13
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Extras: (lb1, w1, nb2) 4
Total: (for four wickets) 125
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