South Africa
Imperious Tigers complete historic series win in South Africa
After wrapping up the hosts for 154, it was only a matter of time for Bangladesh to make history in Centurion on Tuesday. They did it in style, romping home to a nine-wicket victory to close out their first ever series victory over South Africa away from home.
After Taskin Ahmed’s tremendous bowling show, it was Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das who guided the Tigers to an imperious victory at the Centurion where they had taken a lead winning the first match of the series.
Tigers now finally won an ODI series in South Africa. Ahead of this series, Bangladesh had no wins against the Proteas in South Africa, and now, two wins under their belt in three matches.
Over the last few years, Bangladesh were waiting to march to the next level as an ODI force. But something was missing as they had no series win in any of these countries— South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia— which are often regarded as the toughest condition for the Asian sides.
READ: Tremendous Taskin takes five as Bangladesh wrap up SA for 154
With the series win over South Africa in a dominant fashion, Bangladesh now are finally on a new level as an ODI team a year away from the next 50-over World Cup.
With a target of 155, Tamim and Liton made an outstanding start scoring 127 in the first wicket stand. While Tamim continued after hitting a fifty full of shots around the wicket, Liton fell for 48 off 57 balls. When the right-hander fell prey to Keshav Maharaj, Bangladesh had little to do so to seal the series.
With Shakib hitting off Kagiso Rabada for a four in the 27th over, Bangladesh secured one of their biggest win by nine wickets with more than 23 overs to play.
Tamim was unbeaten for 87 while Shakib remained unbeaten for 18.
Earlier, riding on the brilliant pace-bowling display by Taskin, Bangladesh wrapped up South Africa for 154 in 37 overs.
Ahead of this match, the series was on parity 1-1. If Bangladesh can win this match, they will make a history of winning their maiden ODI series in the soil of South Africa.
South Africa won the toss and sent Bangladesh to bowl first. In the first wicket partnership, the hosts added 46 runs in just 6.5 overs. But after that, Taskin came to the fore and dismantled the batting line of the hosts.
Taskin started with the wicket of Kyle Verreynne. It was not the best delivery Taskin bowled in the match. It was short and wide, but Kyle only managed a bottom edge that has shattered his stumps when he was at 9 for 16 balls.
Mushfiqur Rahim took the catches on the other four occasions of Taskin’s five wickets in this match.
After Kyle, Taskin removed Janneman Malan, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius and Kagiso Rabada. Apart from the first scalped, Taskin delivered nearly all the perfect short balls to bag wickets. He led the Tigers all the way with the ball.
Along the way, the right-arm pacer completed his second five-for in ODIs. His maiden five-wicket haul came in 2014 against India in Mirpur. That was his debut in the format. After about an eight-year-long gap, Taskin finally recorded his second five-for.
South Africa eventually tumbled for 154 for all wickets in 37 overs with Malan posting the highest of 39 runs. Their second-highest runs scorer was Keshav Maharaj with 28. He was trapped run-out by Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur as the last wicket.
The two teams will now take on each other in a two-match Test series from March 31.
Tremendous Taskin takes five as Bangladesh wrap up SA for 154
Riding on the brilliant pace-bowling display by Taskin Ahmed, Bangladesh wrapped up South Africa for 154 in 37 overs on Wednesday in Centurion.
Ahead of this match, the series was on parity 1-1. If Bangladesh can win this match, they will make a history of winning their maiden ODI series in the soil of South Africa.
South Africa won the toss and sent Bangladesh to bowl first. In the first wicket stand, the hosts added 46 runs in just 6.5 overs. But after that, Taskin came to the fore and dismantled the batting line of the hosts.
READ: Bangladesh bowl first in series decider vs South Africa
Taskin started with the wicket of Kyle Verreynne. It was not the best delivery Taskin bowled in the match. It was short and wide, but Kyle only managed a bottom edge that has shattered his stumps when he was at 9 for 16 balls.
Mushfiqur Rahim took the catches on the other four occasions of Taskin’s five wickets in this match.
After Kyle, Taskin removed Janneman Malan, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius and Kagiso Rabada. Apart from the first scalped, Taskin delivered nearly all the perfect short balls to bag wickets. He led the Tigers all the way with the ball.
Along the way, the right-arm pacer completed his second five-for in ODIs. His maiden five-wicket haul came in 2014 against India in Mirpur. That was his debut in the format. After about an eight-year-long gap, Taskin finally recorded his second five-for.
Taskin ended up taking five wickets for 35 runs in nine overs.
South Africa eventually tumbled for 154 for all wickets in 37 overs with Malan posting the highest of 39 runs. Their second-highest runs scorer was Keshav Maharaj’s 28. He was trapped run-out by Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur as the last wicket.
Bangladesh bowl first in series decider vs South Africa
Bangladesh lost the toss and were sent to bowl first in the third ODI of the three-match series against South Africa at Centurion.
In the first two matches, Bangladesh won one, and the hosts bettered the visitors in another. So this match became a series decider.
Read:Bangladesh eye to historic series win vs South Africa
Bangladesh never won a series in South Africa. If they can win in this match, it will be a history-making win for the Tigers.
The Tigers fielded an unchanged XI in this match.
This series is a part of the ICC World Cup Super League. Bangladesh are currently at the top of the table of this league with 11 wins in 17 matches while South Africa are at 9th with two wins in 12 matches so far.
Read: Women’s World Cup: Bangladesh lost to India by big margin
Bangladesh (Playing XI): Tamim Iqbal(c), Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mahmudullah, Yasir Ali, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman
South Africa (Playing XI): Janneman Malan, Quinton de Kock(w), Kyle Verreynne, Temba Bavuma(c), Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi
Bangladesh eye to historic series win vs South Africa
With the three-match series is on parity, the Bangladesh team is eyeing to win it against South Africa in their home backyard. Bangladesh has never won a series on South African soil.
In the first match, Bangladesh won by 38 runs— which was Bangladesh’s maiden against South Africa in their home. The hosts bounced back strongly in the second match in Johannesburg.
For Bangladesh, the first match was a great demonstration of playing together as a team.
Read:Women’s World Cup: Bangladesh lost to India by big margin
The batters did well after putting into bat first. Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das managed to have a good start. The middle-order also did well with the fifties from Shakib Al Hasan and Yasir Ali. And while bowling, the pacers put enough pressure on the Protea batters, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz bagged four wickets. Overall, that was a great team effort from the Tigers.
Now, ahead of the third match in Centurion where the series has begun, the Bangladesh team is confident to clinch the series.
“We have played good cricket in the first match. We are eager to play the same brand of cricket tomorrow,” Mehidy, the allrounder told on Tuesday. “We have a great chance to win a series in South Africa. For that, we have to play as a team. We have to perform together.”
Mehidy also added that Bangladeshi batters will have to come up with a good batting display that can ease the task of the bowlers.
“The wickets of Centurion is so good for the batters,” he added. “Having a good total is important in ODI cricket. We cannot win a match scoring only 200 runs. In the last match, the wicket was so tough. We have faced uneven bounces that made it tough for us to score runs.”
In the last match at this venue, Bangladesh posted more than 300 runs. Mehidy said the result of the last match at this venue is encouraging them to do replicate that performance.
Read:SA vs BAN 2022: Bangladesh, South Africa Lock Horns in ODI Series Decider in Centurion
In the all-important match on Wednesday, Bangladesh will get the service of Shakib. The allrounder was about to take a flight back home due to a family emergency. He, however, changed his mind and opted to play in the ODI series.
The last match of the ODI series will kick off at 5 pm (Bangladesh time).
After the ODI series, both teams will take on each other in a two-match Test series. While the first Test will take the field on March 31 at Kingsmead, Durban, the second Test will be played at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth from April 8.
Proteas bounce back strongly against Tigers to level series 1-1
South Africa came back strongly in the second match of the three-match ODI series in Johannesburg Sunday to beat Bangladesh by seven wickets.
With this win, the hosts levelled the series 1-1. Both the teams will take on each other in the series decider on March 23 in Centurion.
Read:Afif propels Bangladesh to 194 in 2nd ODI vs SA
In the day's match, Bangladesh posted 194 for nine after choosing to bat first.
In a must-win second ODI game, South Africa chased down the target in 37.2 overs, with Quinton de Kock (62) and Kyle Verreynne (58*) killing Bangladesh's hopes.
For the Tigers, Mehidy Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan and Afif Hossain picked up one wicket each.
Earlier, the Tigers had almost lost the match in the first 12.4 overs as half of them were in the dugout with just 34 runs on the scorecard.
The disciplined South Africa bowling unit did not really allow the Bangladesh batters to settle. Tamim, Shakib and Yasir fell for 1, 0 and 2.
In the sixth wicket stand, Mahmudullah Riyad and Afif Hossain added 60 runs. Tabraiz Shamsi broke the partnership, with Mahmudullah perishing on 25.
On the seventh wicket, Afif and Mehidy Hasan Miraz added 86 runs.
Afif's 72 gave the Tigers some hope, but a target of 195 was never really going to be enough to rattle the superb batting line-up of the Proteas.
Read:Unchanged Bangladesh opt to bat first
For South Africa, Kagiso Rabada bagged five wickets, conceding 39 in 10 overs.
Bangladesh won the first match of the series by 38 runs, which was their first win against the hosts on their soil.
Hasina lauds Bangladesh on its haseen win
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday congratulated the Bangladeshi cricket team for the historic win against South Africa.
The Tigers secured a 38-run victory over South Africa in the first ODI of the three-match series at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Friday.
This was also the touring side’s maiden win away from home against South Africa in any format of the game.
Also read: Team Tigers beat SA to create history
Team Tigers beat SA to create history
Bangladesh scripted history by beating South Africa in the first of the three-match ODI series in Centurion. And none other than Shakib Al Hasan, who wanted to skip this series altogether, guided the Tigers to the win away from home.
Before this match, Bangladesh played 19 matches in South Africa but failed to win a single one. But this time, the Tigers were eager to change history as captain Tamim Iqbal insisted ahead of the match.
Earlier this year, Bangladesh beat New Zealand in a Test away from home, and now this win in South Africa has only helped bolster the team's confidence.
In fact, South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl first. Bangladesh bagged 95 runs in the opening stand — their highest against South Africa. While Tamim returned scoring 41, Liton Das made 50.
Both the openers returned to the dressing room in a span of nine runs. Shakib came in at number three, and Mushfiuqr Rahim at four. Shakib was firm at one end of the wicket, but Mushfiqur fell early scoring nine runs.
Also read: ICC 2022 Women’s CWC: Tigresses' Victory Over Pakistan Harks Back to 1999 World Cup Memory
For the fourth wicket, Shakib and Yasir Ali added 115 runs on the board. Along the way, Shakib got his 50th fifty in ODIs and ended up on 77 while Yasir got his maiden 50 in the format.
Mahmudullah Riyad, Afif Hossain and Mehidy Hasan helped the Tigers pass the 300-run mark. All these three batters scored runs at strike rates exceeding 130. Mahmudullah struck 25 off 17 balls while Afif and Mehidy scored 17 and 19 off 13 balls each.
For South Africa, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj bagged two wickets each.
In reply, South Africa lost three wickets in 10 overs, and two of them were scalped by Taskin Ahmed. The right-arm pacer continued to bowl well away from home.
Also read: ICC Women’s World Cup 2022: The front-runners to reach the semi-finals
However, for the fourth wicket, Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen added 85 runs and posed a real challenge to the Tigers. The partnership was broken by left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam who removed Bavuma for 31 off 55 balls.
For the next wicket, David Miller joined Rassie van der Dussen, and they added 70 runs on the board.
When this stand was threatening Bangladesh, Taskin struck again and removed Rassie van der Dussen for 86. David Miller continued and scored 79. He was removed by Mehidy.
Eventually, South Africa were all out for 276 in 48 overs and Tigers made history.
For Bangladesh, Mehidy bagged four wickets conceding 61 runs in nine overs while Taskin scalped three and Shoriful took two.
“It's a big win for us. Starting from Liton, then Shakib and Yasir batted brilliantly. A six and a four from Mehidy. Those quick 25 runs from Mahmudullah. Our fast bowlers are winning games for us. Last two years, the fast bowlers are doing brilliantly," Tamim, Bangladesh ODI captain, told the broadcaster after the match.
"You need a character like Mehidy in every team. After going for 40 from 4 overs, he came up to me and told me that he wanted to bowl. He said he will change the game. He was my Man of the Match,” he added.
Shakib praised Yasir for his brilliant fifty in this match. “When I spend 7-8 balls, I knew we had to score somewhere near 300. We got a good start. It was easier with the old ball. Yasir batted well and a lot of credit should go to him. He played really a good innings. It was not easy for someone who is playing his 3rd or 4th game and that too against South Africa."
“Underdogs” Bangladesh aim to create history in South Africa
Bangladesh are all set to start their ODI series against South Africa from March 18.
Ahead of the series, Russell Domingo, the head coach of Bangladesh, has said that given their past in South Africa, the Tigers are underdogs in this series.
Before this series, Bangladesh took on the Proteas in 19 matches in South Africa and failed to win any of those matches in all the formats of cricket. Overall, Bangladesh played 40 international matches against South Africa and won four matches.
Read:SA vs BAN Series 2022: Bangladesh Eye First ODI Win on South African Soil
“South Africa have just beaten India 3-0. We will definitely come as underdogs, having no win here before. But we are confident in our one day side and playing good one day cricket for a long period of time. The players understand their roles and what it takes, so we are expecting a competitive series,” Domingo told on Wednesday.
“South Africa will definitely start as favourites. They are in their home conditions and have a tough side to beat in South Africa. They are favourites but it suites us to be underdogs, gives us an opportunity to do something special,” he added.
Bangladesh will get the service of Shakib Al Hasan in this series. The allrounder was uncertain to take part in this tour due to mental fatigue what heearlier said. The Bangladesh coach said Shakib brings balance to the team with his experience.
“He balances our team. It’s always difficult when he is not there. You are not sure whether to pick an extra bowler or an extra batter. It is great to have playe of that caliber and experience. He has been here before. His energy, attitude and work ethic has been fantastic, so good to have him here,” Domingo said.
Read:Where to Watch Bangladesh V South Africa Series 2022 Live Streaming Online
Over the last few years, Bangladesh became a good force in ODI cricket. Bangladesh coach said the trend of doing well in ODIs would put the Tigers in a better position than the other formats.
Ahead of the series, Bangladesh’s main concern is the form of the seniors. Especially, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib who were out of form in the last few matches. But Domingo said he doesn't like a player being a senior or junior, he rather put the onus on everyone’s shoulder.
“For me, there are no seniors or juniors. I know you talk about that aspect but for me, they are 11 players. A lot is said about seniors and juniors and for me it is unnecessary,” the Bangladesh coach added.
Fire ravages Cape Town seat of South Africa's Parliament
Firefighters battled a major blaze at South Africa's Parliament complex on Sunday that sent a dark plume of smoke and flames into the air above the center of Cape Town and caused some ceilings of the building that houses the national legislature to collapse.
The fire started on the third floor of an old building that houses offices and spread to the National Assembly building, where South Africa's Parliament now sits, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Patricia de Lille said.
Read:After suicide bombing, Congo officials fear more attacks
“The fire is currently in the National Assembly chambers,” De Lille told reporters at the scene. “This is a very sad day for democracy for Parliament is the home of our democracy.”
City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Jermaine Carelse said no injuries were reported. Parliament was closed for the holidays.
Security guards first reported the fire at around 6 a.m., Carelse said, and 35 firefighters were on the scene. Some of them were lifted into the Cape Town skyline on a crane to spray water on the blaze from above.
They were still fighting the fire more than six hours later.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was briefed on the fire, De Lille said, but it was too early to speculate on a cause. She said authorities were reviewing video camera footage.
The deputy minister of state security was also at the Parliament complex. Parliament speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula cautioned against speculation that it was a deliberate attack.
"Until such a time that a report has been furnished that there was arson, we have to be careful not to make suggestions that there was an attack,” she said.
President Ramaphosa and many of South Africa's high-ranking politicians were in Cape Town for the funeral service of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which took place on Saturday at the city's St. George's Cathedral, about a block away from the Parliament precinct.
The precinct has three main sections, the original Parliament building completed in the late 1800s and two newer parts built in the 20th century.
The fire initially was concentrated at the old Parliament building, which is located behind the National Assembly, De Lille told reporters in front of the Parliament complex gates. During that briefing, she said firefighters “have the situation under control," but the fire spread soon after and tore through the current Parliament building.
Read:Suicide bomber attacks bar in eastern Congo, killing 6
Authorities feared that others parts of the buildings in the precinct might collapse because of the heat while historical artefacts inside were likely to be damaged or destroyed. The top part of the bright white National Assembly building had been burned black as smoke billowed out its roof.
“The bitumen on the roof is even melting, an indication of the intense heat. There have been reports of some walls showing cracks, which could indicate a collapse,” News24 website quoted Carelse as saying.
Police cordoned off the complex and closed roads. Some of the blocked-off areas were near where people had left flowers and other tributes to Tutu.
A huge wildfire on the slopes Cape Town's famed Table Mountain last year spread to buildings below and destroyed part of a historic library at the University of Cape Town.
South Africa's case drop may show omicron peak has passed
South Africa's noticeable drop in new COVID-19 cases in recent days may signal that the country's dramatic omicron-driven surge has passed its peak, medical experts say.
Daily virus case counts are notoriously unreliable, as they can be affected by uneven testing, reporting delays and other fluctuations. But they are offering one tantalizing hint — far from conclusive yet — that omicron infections may recede quickly after a ferocious spike.
South Africa has been at the forefront of the omicron wave and the world is watching for any signs of how it may play out there to try to understand what may be in store.
After hitting a high of nearly 27,000 new cases nationwide on Thursday, the numbers dropped to about 15,424 on Tuesday. In Gauteng province — South Africa’s most populous with 16 million people, including the largest city, Johannesburg, and the capital, Pretoria — the decrease started earlier and has continued.
Read:U.S. announces first recorded Omicron-related death
“The drop in new cases nationally combined with the sustained drop in new cases seen here in Gauteng province, which for weeks has been the center of this wave, indicates that we are past the peak," Marta Nunes, senior researcher at the Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics department of the University of Witwatersrand, told The Associated Press.
“It was a short wave ... and the good news is that it was not very severe in terms of hospitalizations and deaths,” she said. It is "not unexpected in epidemiology that a very steep increase, like what we saw in November, is followed by a steep decrease.”
Gauteng province saw its numbers start sharply rising in mid-November. Scientists doing genetic sequencing quickly identified the new, highly mutated omicron variant that was announced to the world on Nov. 25.
Significantly more transmissible, omicron quickly achieved dominance in South Africa. An estimated 90% of COVID-19 cases in Gauteng province since mid-November have been omicron, according to tests.
And the world seems to be quickly following, with omicron already surpassing the delta variant as the dominant coronavirus strain in some countries. In the U.S., omicron accounted for 73% of new infections last week, health officials said — and the variant is responsible for an estimated 90% or more of new infections in the New York area, the Southeast, the industrial Midwest and the Pacific Northwest.
Confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.K. have surged by 60% in a week as omicron overtook delta as the dominant variant there. Worldwide, the variant has been detected in at least 89 countries, according to the World Health Organization.
In South Africa, experts worried that the sheer volume of new infections would overwhelm the country's hospitals, even though omicron appears to cause milder disease, with significantly less hospitalizations, patients needing oxygen and deaths.
But then cases in Gauteng started falling. After reaching 16,000 new infections on Dec. 12, the province's numbers have steadily dropped, to just over 3,300 cases Tuesday.
“It's significant. It's very significant,” Dr. Fareed Abdullah said of the decrease.
Read: Omicron sweeps across nation, now 73% of new US COVID cases
“The rapid rise of new cases has been followed by a rapid fall and it appears we're seeing the beginning of the decline of this wave,” said Abdullah, working in the COVID-19 ward at Pretoria's Steve Biko Academic Hospital.
In another sign that South Africa’s omicron surge may be receding, a study of health care professionals who tested positive for COVID-19 at Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital in Soweto shows a rapid increase and then a quick decline in cases.
“Two weeks ago we were seeing more than 20 new cases per day and now it is about five or six cases per day,” Nunes said.
But, she said, it is still very early and there are several factors that must be closely watched.
South Africa's positivity rate has remained high at 29%, up from just 2% in early November, indicating the virus is still circulating among the population at relatively high levels, she said.
And the country's holiday season is now underway, when many businesses close down for a month and people travel to visit family, often in rural areas. This could accelerate omicron’s spread across South Africa and to neighboring countries, experts said.
"In terms of the massive everyday doubling that we were seeing just over a week ago with huge numbers, that seems to have settled,” said Professor Veronica Uekermann, head of the COVID-19 response team at Steve Biko Academic Hospital.
“But it is way too early to suggest that we have passed the peak. There are too many external factors, including the movement during the holiday season and the general behavior during this period,” she said, noting that infections spiked last year after the holiday break.
It's summertime in South Africa and many gatherings are outdoors, which may make a difference between the omicron-driven wave here and the surges in Europe and North America, where people tend to gather indoors.
Another unknown factor is how much omicron has spread among South Africans without causing disease.
Some health officials in New York have suggested that because South Africa appears to have experienced a quick, mild wave of omicron, the variant may behave similarly there and elsewhere in the U.S. But Nunes cautions against jumping to those conclusions.
“Each setting, each country is different. The populations are different. The demographics of the population, the immunity is different in different countries,” she said. South Africa's population, with an average age of 27, is more youthful than many Western countries, for instance.
Most of the patients currently being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals are unvaccinated, Uekermann emphasized. About 40% of adult South Africans have been inoculated with two doses.
“All my patients in ICU are unvaccinated," Uekermann said. “So our vaccinated people are doing better in this wave, for sure. We have got some patients who are very ill with severe COVID, and these are unvaccinated patients.”