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South Africa was knocked out of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup Super League after suffering a 104-run defeat to Bangladesh in the quarterfinals in Potchefstroom, North West, on Thursday.
It was again spin and some average shot selections that cost South Africa out at the quarterfinal stage, after having won the toss and electing to bowl first at the JB Marks Oval.
Despite an early display of force from opening bowlers Gerald Coetzee and Achille Cloete who bowled a combined 22 dot balls in five overs, South Africa failed to take wickets consistently and allowed Bangladesh to build partnerships and take an early stranglehold on the game.
Tanzid Hasan and Mohammad Hossain put on 45 runs in the next seven overs before Hossain was dismissed by spinner Pheko Moletsane.
That halted the pace somewhat and even forced a run-out to leave Bangladesh at 73/2 after 17 overs.
But it was Hasan who played beautifully, timing the ball to musical perfection and varying aggression with controlled caution as he settled in with Towid Hridoy.
The pair added 57 runs in just over 10 overs.
Hasan was dismissed playing a loose shot to point for a well crafted 80 from 84 balls, but that just brought in another quality batsman in Shahadat Hossain.
The Hridroy and Hossain show broke South Africa as the two added 102 runs in just under 20 overs.
The pair took their innings 46 overs deep and both made half centuries before Hridroy was dismissed on 51 and a late blast by Hossain took his score to 74 not out.
Then it was the turn of the Bangaldesh bowlers who exploited South Africa’s weakness with spin.
The Bangladesh bowlers were disciplined and kept teasing the South Africans with great line and length as the pick of the bowlers, left-arm spinner Rakibul Hassan, pitched figures of 5/19 in 9.3 overs and claimed the man of the match award.
Hassan said afterwards that they had planned for spin after observing the Junior Proteas’ struggles earlier on in the tournament and even added in an extra spinner to give them an edge today.
Batting second and chasing 262 for a place in the semifinals, South Africa crumbled early on as they were reduced to 59/3
Openers Johnathan Bird and Khaya Cotani started off tentatively, only managing 14 runs from the first 5 overs, but after Bird was dropped on 12 the pair began to open up.
Cotani smashed the opening offspinner Shamim Hossain out the attack with a four and a six, but this was short-lived as four overs later he skied the ball and was dismissed for 15.
What followed was something of a shock for the Juniour Proteas as their two most prolific batsman, Bird (35) and captain Bryce Parsons (7), fell just three runs apart.
At 59/3 after 15.3 overs, South Africa looked out of sorts.
“The top order should be taking responsibility, including myself. We can’t put that on the lower order,” Parsons said after the match when asked if the middle to lower order were a bit soft on runs.
Luke Beaufort tried to hang around with the lower order as the team needed just under 150 runs to get in 19 overs.
He managed a slow-burn 60 from 93 balls before being dismissed trying to attack.
Coach Lawrence Mahatlane echoed Parson’s sentiments, saying that over the tournament “maybe pressure transference is something we should have done against the sub-continent teams better”.
The best the under-19 team can now hope for is a fifth place finish.
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