UPDATE: Proteas restrict Bangladesh to 194 runs in second ODI

It looked like being a stroll for the Proteas after Kagiso Rabada’s outstanding new-ball burst reduced Bangladesh to 34/5, but Afif Hossain and the lower-order rallied admirably for the tourists as they managed to post a respectable 194/9 on a tricky Wanderers pitch in the second ODI on Sunday.

Bangladesh, who will claim a historic series win if they win the match, elected to bat first but needed Afif’s defiant 72 off 107 balls to keep their hopes alive. Afif, alongside Mahmudullah (25) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (38) gave them a fighting chance on a pitch that featured inconsistent bounce, especially when the ball was newer and harder.

Bounce was the chief weapon of Rabada, who was hostile and controlled as he took 5/39, removing key batters Liton Das (15), Shakib al-Hasan (0) and Yasir Ali (2).

Rabada, languid but fiery, then claimed the vital wickets of Afif and Miraz in the 46th over, both batsmen being well-set to make merry at the death as they had already added 86 for the seventh wicket.

Lungi Ngidi (10-2-34-1) and Wayne Parnell (2.5-0-6-1) also fitted the bill as anti-social fast bowlers, but left-arm quick Parnell had just taken the fifth wicket, trapping Mushfiqur Rahim lbw for 11, when he limped off the field with a hamstring injury, never to return.

It meant, with Aiden Markram left out of the starting XI as Quinton de Kock returned and Kyle Verreynne kept his place, that South Africa, with only five frontline bowlers, had to employ the friendly, part-time seam of Temba Bavuma.

The Proteas captain actually did a very tidy job, conceding just 22 runs in his 6.1 overs, and he should have had a maiden white-ball international wicket but Janneman Malan dropped Miraz on 21 at long-on, one of two regulation chances he spilled.

Rassie van der Dussen was even pressed into service to bowl the penultimate over and his gentle off-spin did snare a first wicket as 12th man Markram caught Shoriful Islam (2) at long-on.