Ken Borland

Shakib al-Hasan ensured that there was no shelter for a lacklustre South African bowling attack as his scintillating 77 carried Bangladesh to their highest ever total on South African soil and thereafter their first victory here as they beat the Proteas by 38 runs in the first ODI at Centurion on Friday night.

Shakib’s classy 64-ball innings led Bangladesh to 314/7 after they were sent in to bat, well above average (276) for a day/night game at SuperSport Park and the tourists’ second-highest score against South Africa anywhere, behind their winning 330/6 in the World Cup match at the Oval in 2019.

Shakib came to the wicket in the 22^nd over after openers Tamim Iqbal (41) and Liton Das (50) both faced 67 deliveries and gave Bangladesh a solid start by putting on 95 for the first wicket off 133 deliveries.

Shakib provided tremendous impetus as he dominated the middle overs with wonderfully clean striking and a plucky, pugnacious attitude that saw him back himself to take on the short-pitched deliveries and also to improvise cheekily as well.

He had the perfect ally in Yasir Ali, who, having scored just a single and a duck in his previous two ODI innings, made his maiden half-century, also landing some great blows in a nifty 50 off 43 balls. Shakib and Yasir added 115 for the fourth wicket off just 83 deliveries.

If the Proteas were to harbour any hopes of making what would have been the second-highest total ever batting second at Centurion, then they needed a similarly solid top-order display.

But instead they slumped to 36/3 as Taskin Ahmed (10-1-36-3) and left-armer Shoriful Islam (8-0-47-2) bowled with tremendous fire and energy up front.

It was in stark contrast to the Proteas bowlers who only took their first wicket in the 22^nd over, and then leaked 91 runs in the last 10 overs. One imagines the wicket-taking skills of wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi may well be employed in the second ODI, while unavoidable questions will continue to be asked about the exclusion of Sisanda Magala, arguably South Africa’s most skilful death bowler, on fitness grounds.

The determined duo of skipper Temba Bavuma (31) and Rassie van der Dussen attempted to rebuild the innings with their fourth-wicket stand of 85, but Bavuma was bounced out by the fiery Shoriful.

Van der Dussen battled on with characteristic tenacity, adding another 70 with David Miller, but he was caught at deep backward square-leg off Taskin for 86 off 98 balls.

There is no more passionate finisher of innings than Miller, but he was left with way too much to do on his own, his sumptuous 79 off 57 balls deserving more support from his team-mates.

Keshav Maharaj (23) and Lungi Ngidi (15*) hit three sixes between them as they had some fun at the death with a 34-run last-wicket stand that took South Africa to 276 all out.

Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz benefited from the wild slog at the end to claim 4/61, but the damage had been done by his splendid pace bowlers.

The Bulls, with half of their URC side in tow, overwhelmed Griquas with seven tries to win their Currie Cup match 53-27 in Kimberley on Saturday.

Playing with high tempo, plenty of intent to get the ball wide and some excellent handling, the Bulls were just too slick on attack for a typically willing Griquas side.

But with the home side flagging in the second half and giving the Bulls plenty of territory through conceding back-to-back penalties, the defending champions were able to convert a 22-15 halftime lead into a comprehensive victory.

The Bulls were also playing with the wind in the second half and flyhalf Chris Smith controlled the game with aplomb, succeeding with a couple of 50/22 kicks.

Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee said “all credit to Griquas for stretching us and they played some terrific rugby”, while also praising veteran hooker Bismarck du Plessis for “inspiring us every day”.

The Springbok great’s lineout work was precise and he provided plenty of running metres gained down the tramlines, as well as showcasing nifty handling skills.

He was rewarded with a 63^rd minute try off a rolling maul, while there were also thrilling tries scored in open play by prop Simphiwe Matanzima, centre Cornal Hendricks, lock Walt Steenkamp, flank Arno Botha, wing Canan Moodie and replacement scrumhalf Keegan Johannes.

The Bulls were particularly potent on counter-attack, with fullback Kurt-Lee Arendse making Griquas pay for kicking on them.

Scorers

Griquas – Tries: Zander du Plessis (2), Hanru Sirgel, Michael Amiras. Conversions: Du Plessis (2). Drop goal: Theo Boshoff.

Bulls – Tries: Simphiwe Matanzima, Cornal Hendricks, Walt Steenkamp, Arno Botha, Canan Moodie, Bismarck du Plessis, Keegan Johannes. Conversions: Chris Smith (6). Penalties: Smith (2).

The Sharks are hoping that all their excellent programmes to assist their players with life outside rugby will clinch the deal with Eben Etzebeth, leading to the Springbok powerhouse lock joining them after the end of Toulon’s season in June.

The Sharks, thanks to their equity partners, offer enormous networking and advisory possibilities with an array of leading businesspeople and that could be of interest to Etzebeth, who has been one of the best-paid players in France and is now in the second half of his career.

Eduard Coetzee, the CEO of the Sharks, confirmed on Tuesday that the franchise are putting together an offer for arguably the best lock in the world, who was earning about R20 million a year at Toulon.

“We are speaking to Eben, he wants to come back and we will put our best foot forward,” Coetzee told The Citizen. “It’s about what we can offer him on and off the field.

“Eben will be turning 31 in October and we can give him a start for life after rugby. We can match him up with businesspeople who can help him – in the pharmaceutical world, clothing, property etc.

“Hopefully that can make up for the loss of income he will have coming back to South Africa. And with the endorsements and commercial opportunities he can get here, hopefully he can earn something that is not a long ways off what he gets there in France. So we feel there is definitely a chance that we will get him,” Coetzee said.

The salary cap (R65m) that SA Rugby have imposed on their franchises as they try to compete with the big-spending European clubs is a frustration, and the Sharks also have to ensure they do not anger the existing superstars in their squad by paying the likes of Etzebeth considerably more than they are earning.

“Of a probable current World XV, we have Siya Kolisi, Makazole Mapimpi and Lukhanyo Am, and now you add Eben Etzebeth,” Coetzee said. “And you can’t pay one of them twice as much as the others.

“You need a level of consistency in terms of what you are paying the top guys. Fortunately we have some credit still in the salary cap and Eben has got himself out of his contract with Toulon.”

The CEO also cleared up any impression that Neil Powell being parachuted in as director of rugby when he had initially been signed as defence coach would be cause for any anger by head coach Sean Everitt.

“John McFarland left for a long-term deal and Warren Whiteley stepped in as defence coach until Neil arrives in September, and he is doing really well. We felt the gap was in terms of managing the entire rugby programme.

“It has been a consultative process and Sean has a very difficult job managing two teams out of one squad. But Neil runs systems really well and he is very strong on culture and work ethic.

“So Neil will run everything outside of the day-to-day coaching. This will cause the least disruption and his strength is people-management, we need someone to run the whole system from juniors up the pipeline,” Coetzee said.

Morne Steyn’s red card in the 11^th minute of the game was always going to cause some bitter tears for the Bulls, but their own poor finishing ability cost them in the end as a storming comeback saw them fall just short, losing 29-22 to the Sharks in their United Rugby Championship match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The veteran Springbok flyhalf was sent off permanently for a late, high swinging arm on Lukhanyo Am, which definitely made contact with the centre’s neck area. But the Sharks did not dominate the flow of the game thereafter as much as they would have liked.

Flank Henco Venter bustled over for the opening try from the resulting penalty, and the Sharks went 14-0 up as hooker Bongi Mbonambi bolted over from a maul. It was an unfortunate blow for the Bulls as the Sharks were given a lineout just outside their 22 when fullback David Kriel’s massive relieving kick just landed on the line inside the Sharks’ 22.

But the Bulls settled into life with only 14 men and dominated territory for the rest of the half. Players worth their salt would have converted a couple of chances that came their way, but reward finally came in the 39^th minute when Venter was yellow-carded and then Cornal Hendricks went over in the corner.

But Am scored a sensational try from the restart to make sure the Sharks went into the break 19-5 up. Two Bulls players thought the restart was going directly into touch, but Am snuck in, jumping to catch the ball and then darting down the touchline, regathering his own deft grubber to score a crucial try.

The Bulls scored first in the second half though, superb build-up play, keeping ball-in-hand, taking them into Sharks territory. The maul was again defended well by the visitors, but the Bulls kept bashing away and flank Marcell Coetzee forced his way over for the try.

The Sharks responded though in the 58^th minute as they finally made use of the extra man with replacement scrumhalf Grant Williams producing a wonderful long, flat pass out wide to Makazole Mapimpi, who was able to stroll over for the try (26-12).

But just four minutes later, it was Williams who was crying big briney tears as he was red-carded for going in high on Bulls replacement flyhalf Chris Smith, smashing head-first into his cheekbone. Smith had to be stretchered off and it left the Bulls without a regular goalkicker, Kriel being forced to take over.

The Sharks’ defensive resolve did not dissolve though when they were down to 14 men, but the Bulls still scored two more tries but also wasted another couple of opportunities.

Several short passes close to the line went down and there was a three-man overlap wasted by Coetzee when he threw an awful, massive forward pass which myopic referee AJ Jacobs somehow missed, but the TMO did not.

Replacement prop Simphiwe Matanzima dived over to score with five minutes remaining, but Kriel missed the crucial conversion.

Three minutes later, replacement scrumhalf Embrose Papier made a searing break and wing Madosh Tambwe produced a stunning finish through two defenders. Kriel could not make the touchline conversion, so the Bulls, 22-26 down, had to try and score again with just two minutes left.

They won the restart and ran from deep, but the ever-alert Am produced the crucial turnover, replacement flyhalf Curwin Bosch kicking the resulting penalty.

Scorers

Sharks – Tries: Henco Venter, Bongi Mbonambi, Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi. Conversions: Tito Bonilla (2), Curwin Bosch. Penalty: Bosch.

Bulls – Tries: Cornal Hendricks, Marcell Coetzee, Simphiwe Matanzima, Madosh Tambwe. Conversion: Chris Smith.