UPDATE: Proteas contained by fighting Bangladesh

Trapped in Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s web of spin and struggling to handle fiery fast bowler Ebadot Hossain, South Africa slipped to 157/5 at tea on the fourth day of the first Test against Bangladesh at Kingsmead in Durban on Sunday.

Having reached lunch on a solid 105/1, Dean Elgar and Keegan Petersen extended their partnership to 68 before South Africa lost four wickets for just 32 runs, sliding to 148/5.

Ryan Rickelton (18) and Wiaan Mulder (6) then stretched their lead to 226 with five wickets in hand.

But Kingsmead is the site where Sri Lanka famously chased down 303 for a historic victory over South Africa, which led to an extraordinary series win, in February 2019. That was the last Test played in Durban and the Proteas attack included Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and Duanne Olivier, although Vernon Philander was only able to bowl eight overs.

Off-spinner Mehidy has taken 2/59 in 29 overs and Ebadot has 2/35 in 10 pacey overs.

While Rickelton spent some time getting himself in, Mulder was living a charmed life.

Coming into this Test with a batting average of just 15.76, Mulder was out first ball in the first innings and could have been caught off the first two deliveries he faced on Sunday. Later, an attempted sweep came off the back of the bat and looped over the slips.

If he doesn’t manage to make some sort of contribution with the bat, Mulder could be blacklisted as an all-rounder.

Elgar was another who enjoyed some fortune on a tough morning, being dropped twice, but he ran out of luck on 64 when Taskin Ahmed jagged a delivery back into him and it kept a bit low to trap him lbw and end another fine innings by the captain.

Petersen was looking good for his 36 but he played too early at a delivery from Mehidy, perhaps in an early sign of inconsistent bounce, and steered a catch to short-leg, smartly taken by Mahmudul Hasan Joy.

While Bangladesh’s catching was poor, they did pull off two outstanding efforts to dismiss Temba Bavuma (4) and Kyle Verreynne (6).

Bavuma edged a back-foot defensive stroke against Ebadot to first slip, the ball flying low towards the left boot of Yasir Ali, who plucked a phenomenal one-handed catch.

Verreynne tried to reverse-sweep Mehidy but toe-ended the ball on to his boot, from where it flew towards silly point, Shadman Islam showing great reaction to pull off a one-handed catch as well.

Opener Sarel Erwee (8) was the one batsman to fall in the morning session, trapped lbw as Ebadot jagged a delivery back into the left-hander.