Sport Desk: Host Bangladesh thrashed defending champions South Africa by 43 runs in the opening match of the ICC Under-19 World Cup at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Wednesday. The Junior Tigers managed to score 240 runs losing 7 wickets in their allotted 50 overs after Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first. The Proteas were bowled out for 197 in 48.4 overs. After three maiden on the trot, Bangladesh openers Saif Hassan and Pinak Ghosh began to score with some full deliveries, and looked far more composed than earlier. With time being, both Saif and Pinak became more aware of the loose balls, and pierced the gaps regularly to get things going. South Africa used spin from the onset, and managed to make it extremely difficult for Bangladesh batters, particularly Saif Hassan to score. After spending considerable time at the wicket, Saif Hassan threw away his wicket in a moment of sheer madness. Saif wanted to hit his way out of frustration, since he was kept quiet by South African bowlers for extended periods of time. Bangladesh opener went down the wicket to a short ball outside off, tried to smash it over cover but only managed a chunky edge to the keeper. South Africa began to dictate terms in the field, mainly by tight bowling and managed to get a crucial breakthrough against the run of play in the 20th over. The first Bangladeshi wicket to fall scored six runs from 31 balls, and hardly managed to rotate the strike with Pinak going great guns at the other end. Pinak accelerated after a slow start, and began to put the bad balls away with relative ease. He was particularly good on the back foot, and had already showed his class with a six over midwicket that screamed from his bat. Pinak and Joyraz managed to consolidate with their 44-run stand, but cannot blame anyone else for the dismissal to end the second wicket partnership. Joyraz Sheik took off for a suicidal run after he steered the ball to cover. The ill-judged run left Pinak high and dry as the fielder was alert to the situation. Pinak went back after a slow start, smashed 43 from 51 balls with four fours and two sixes to his name. After being the cause of his partner’s dismissal with a bad call, Joyraz followed Pinak back to the pavilion in the 24th over. The 29-run 3rd wicket stand was beefed up by Joyraz’s knock, but his wicket allowed the visitors to put more pressure on the Bangladeshi middle order. Joyraz faced 50 balls for his 46. He struck six fours and a six during his stay at the wicket. When South African bowlers sensed an opportunity to make further in-roads into Bangladesh’s batting line-up, Nazmul Shanto and captain Mehedi Hasan consolidated with sensible batting. Both Shanto and Mehedi were content to rotate the strike, kept out the god balls and dispatched the loose balls away. Their 50-run partnership in 68 balls gave the hosts hope of a challenging total against the defending champions. Bangladesh skipper Mehedi Hasan was dismissed by his counterpart de Zorzi in the 38 th over, after the batter consolidated the innings with Nazmul. Mehedi scored 23 from 38 balls with three fours, but helped his side to into the last ten overs of the game with enough wickets in hand to throw the bat around. Bangladesh lost their fifth wicket in the death overs when the batsmen were desperate to up the ante. Zakir Hasan fell in the 45th over after a handy 45-run stand with Nazmul. Zakir scored 19 from 25, and turned over the strike to his partner as often as he could. Saeed Sarkar failed to fire late in the innings as South Africa’s Sipamla sent him back in the 46th over to stifle Bangladesh’s scoring rate. Sipamla’s full delivery was drilled down the ground by Saeed where Moonsamy took a running catch at long-on. Nazmul Hossain Shanto was the seventh Bangladeshi batsman to be out who scored 73 runs off 83 balls hitting 4 boundaries and 3 sixes. Mohammad Saifuddin`s unbeaten 17 steered Bangladesh to 240 as Sanjit Saha was not out on 2. South Africa pacer Wiaan Mulder claimed 3 wickets for 42 while Sean Whitehead,Tony de Zorzi and Lutho Sipamla took one wicket each. Defending an average total of 240, Bangladesh captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz struck early to dismiss the opener of South Africa Kyle Verreynne. Verreynne (1) was caught by Saif Hassan at slip in the third over of the innings bowled by right-arm off-spinner Miraz. South Africa lost their first wicket for only 5 runs. Five overs later, pacer Mohammad Saifuddin bowled Wiaan Mulder (8). The Proteas lost their second wicket for 27 runs. Saifuddin struck again in the 15th over and this time he bowled South Africa captain Tony de Zorzi (8). Facing a yorker just outside off stump, Zorzi jammed his bat down on it to keep it down. He managed to do this, but it rolled into his pad, ricocheted into the off side, and spun back and rolled into the stumps. Bangladesh claimed third for 44. South Africa middle order batsman Rivaldo Moonsamy (5) was LBW by spinner Saeed Sarkar in the 21st over as the Proteas lost their 4th for 60. Saeed again struck in the 34th over to bowl Dayyaan Galiem (22). With the dismissal of Gailem, 52-run 5th wicket partnership was broken off. Opener Liam Smith held one side and kept batting. He built another 48-run partnership with Farhaan Sayanvala in the 6th wicket which Bangladesh captain Miraz broke in the 43rd over. Sayanvala (19) went for a slog-sweep that didn`t turn, ended up top-edging it high and offering a straightforward chance to the midwicket fielder Mohammad Saifuddin. Miraz, then grasped a brilliant catch of Liam Smith who completed his century a ball earlier off Saleh Ahmed Shawon. Smith faced 146 balls and hit 9 fours and 1 six in his hundred-run inning. Saleh, in the last ball of the over, also made Willem Ludick (5) caught by Saif Hassan.
