New York: In a heart-stopping thriller, South Africa finally shook off their ICC tournament jinx with a dramatic victory over Bangladesh here on Monday.
Following a nerve-wracking chase against the Netherlands last week where they teetered at 12/4, South Africa faced a similar crisis today but managed to claw their way to triumph.
Opting to bat first, South Africa’s top order crumbled spectacularly, losing four wickets in the first five overs. Bangladesh seemed set to capitalise on this, only to face their own top-order collapse.
The game swung back and forth as Towhid Hridoy (37 off 34) and Mahmudullah (20 off 27) stitched together a vital 44-run partnership for the fifth wicket, bringing Bangladesh tantalisingly close to victory.
Needing just 20 runs from 18 balls with six wickets in hand, Bangladesh appeared poised to seal the win. However, Kagiso Rabada’s (2/19) crucial 18th over turned the tide. He removed the dangerous Hridoy and gave away only two runs, dramatically shifting the momentum in South Africa’s favor.
Earlier in the match, Bangladesh’s bowlers had put their team in a strong position. Tanzim Hasan’s (3/18) electrifying new-ball spell reduced South Africa to 25/4 during the powerplay, dismissing Reeza Hendricks (0), Aiden Markram (4), and Quinton de Kock (18 off 11) cheaply.
David Miller (29 off 38) and Heinrich Klaasen (46 off 44) steadied the South African innings amidst a challenging two-paced wicket. Klaasen looked ready for a late-game assault before Taskin Ahmed (2/19) intervened, limiting South Africa to a modest total of 114.
Despite tight bowling at the death, Bangladesh couldn’t capitalize on their strong position, ultimately succumbing to South Africa’s relentless attack.
