Ken Borland

Ziaur Rahman steered Bangladesh home as they beat South Africa by three wickets with a ball to spare in their Pran RFL T20 Triangular Series match at the Harare Sports Club on Friday.

20th over – Chris Morris starts the final over with just three runs to defend and it’s a great start by the South Africans as they concede just a single off the first two balls. Farhaan Behardien pulls off a superb stop at short midwicket and almost runs out Farhad Reza with a direct hit. WICKET – His brilliance keeps Farhad on strike, however, and he swungs a low full toss straight to Justin Ontong at deep midwicket on the next ball to be out for a single. Colin Ingram makes a great stop in the covers to ensure a dot ball off the next delivery, but Morris then delivers another low full toss which Ziaur slashes over backward point for the winning boundary.

19th over – WICKET – Marchant de Lange starts a fine over with the wicket of Mahmudullah, who slices a big drive at a good-length ball outside off stump high to Hashim Amla at deep mid-off. Mahmudullah’s 28 off 27 balls has taken Bangladesh to the brink of victory.

18th over – Morris returns but makes a bad start as Ziaur pummels his first ball over midwicket for four and then belts him over the covers for four more off the second ball. Morris’s third delivery is a wide down the leg side.

17th over – Oh no, a key error by Wayne Parnell! Ziaur plays a loose pull shot to a delivery that is too full and is “bowled” for 11. But TV replays show Parnell has over-stepped by a long way, the batsman is recalled and a no-ball awarded.

16th over – Mahmudullah slogs Albie Morkel from outside off stump to cow-corner for a one-bounce four.

15th over – Ziaur, on 11, heaves Robin Peterson to long-on, where Behardien, running around the boundary, gets both hands to the catch, but it pops out!

14th over – A wide long-hop from leg-spinner Faf du Plessis is cut through the covers for four by Ziaur.

13th over – WICKET – Morkel claims the key wicket of Ashraful with his second ball! Ashraful tries to drive a full ball over wide mid-on but ends up slicing it high to long-on, where Morris runs and takes the catch. Ashraful scored a run-a-ball 40, which was a fine innings, but his team needed him to stay there until the end!

12th over – Ashraful launches a big straight drive off Du Plessis, De Lange races across from long-on, gets his hands to the ball but can’t take the difficult catch, the ball deflecting over the boundary for four!

9th over – Parnell uses the bouncer to great effect to pick up two wickets in the over! WICKET – Mushfiqur (7) is late on an attempted hook shot and ends up gloving the ball to wicketkeeper Dane Vilas. WICKET – Three balls later, Nasir (0) is caught between ducking and hooking another bouncer, and ends up presenting a simple catch to Morkel at fine leg. Parnell’s first ball to Mahmudullah is a short and wide no-ball which is expertly cut away for four. The free hit costs just a single, so overall a great over for South Africa.

6th over – Full and wide from Parnell and Ashraful slashes the ball over point for four.

5th over – Mushfiqur gets in on the fun now as he slog-sweeps Morris for four.

4th over – An extraordinary over from De Lange. He starts with two bouncers down leg, both called wide, and his third ball is also a wide bouncer, called a no-ball because he’s only allowed two balls over head height in an over! His fourth ball is another wide down the leg side! De Lange switches to around the wicket but Anamul Haque clips a leg-stump half-volley through midwicket for four. WICKET – De Lange goes back to over the wicket and gets it right! A fast yorker cannons into Anamul’s foot and he is trapped lbw for four. Ashraful ends the shambolic over with successive boundaries, via a magnificent cover-drive and a neat flick off his pads through midwicket.

3rd over – Left-arm spinner Peterson’s first over cost just one run, but Ashraful starts his second over with three successive boundaries! Ashraful starts with a skilful little late cut, before driving sweetly past mid-off and then smearing a sweep shot for four more.

2nd over – Sjoe! Confidence from Junaid Siddique as he waltzes down the pitch to fast bowler De Lange and belts him straight down the ground for four. WICKET – But Sidduque tries to repeat the stroke next ball, but can only edge the delivery to third man, where Morris takes the catch. Siddique out for five.

South Africa innings

South Africa produced another frustrating batting display as they struggled to 129 for seven in their Pran RFL T20 Triangular Series match against Bangladesh at the Harare Sports Club on Friday.

20th over – A great start to the final over for South Africa as Robin Peterson launches Mashrafe Mortaza high and handsome over wide long-on for six. The rest of the over, except for an edged four by Dane Vilas, is just singles, however.

19th over – WICKET – A second run out in the innings as Vilas swings Farhad Reza through square-leg. Chris Morris comes charging down the pitch for the second, but is sent back as Elias Sunny is quickly in from the boundary. Morris is way too far down the pitch to make his ground and is out for a duck.

18th over – Albie Morkel collects his first boundary as he muscles a pull off Mortaza through wide mid-on. WICKET – But three balls later, paceman Mortaza finds the blockhole and Morkel (12) can only mis-hit his drive to long-off.

17th over – WICKET – Farhaan Behardien is out for 16 off 26 balls as he gets a thin edge to a swish outside off stump at Elias Sunny and is caught behind by Mushfiqur Rahim.

16th over – WICKET – Justin Ontong’s gritty innings of 41 off 36 balls comes to an end as he charges down the pitch at medium-pacer Ziaur Rahman and misses a heave, wicketkeeper Mushfiqur pulling off a sharp stumping standing up to the stumps.

12th over – Ontong comes down the pitch and swipes Nasir Hossain over midwicket for six.

9th over – A lucky five runs for Ontong! He tries to sweep Sunny, but inside-edges the ball on to his pad from where it dribbles towards short fine-leg. Farhaan Behardien calls Ontong through for the single, the fielder scores a direct hit at the bowler’s end, but Ontong is safe and gets a bonus four runs as the ball runs away to the boundary!

7th over – WICKET – Disaster for South Africa as Hashim Amla is run out for a run-a-ball 20. Ontong pushes Sunny away square on the off side, thinks about the quick single but then sends Amla back too late. The South African captain is beaten by a super direct hit by Nasir Hossain.

6th over – WICKET – Mahmudullah rather fires in his off-breaks and Colin Ingram (1) chips a cramped drive back to the bowler, who takes a good low catch.

5th over – WICKET – Left-arm spinner Sunny strikes in his first over as Du Plessis tries to heave a flatter delivery away on the leg side but ends up skewing the ball over wide mid-on, Ziaur taking a good catch diving backwards. Du Plessis is out for 13.

3rd over – Amla is quickly on to a delivery from Abdur Razzak that is fractionally short, whipping a square-drive through cover-point for four.

2nd over – Du Plessis shuffles down the pitch and pushes Mortaza straight down the ground for four.

1st over – Amla starts confidently as he strides forward to left-arm spinner Razzak’s third delivery and drives him beautifully through extra cover for four.