SA Emerging suffered a 34-run loss in the one-day series decider against Bangladesh Emerging in Rajshahi on Friday.
Slow left-armer Rakibul Hasan first frustrated the tourists with a vital 42 from his No 10 batting spot – a performance that helped the host scramble their way to 225 – before claiming 4-26 to restrict the reply to 191 all out and seal the series 2-1.
It was a tough loss for the South Africans, especially after running the home side close in both previous matches when they twice scored above 300 after batting first.
Tsepo Ndwandwa took 3-28, while Tiaan van Vuuren grabbed 2-41 and hit a top score of 40. Three other players hit 30s, but no one kicked on in what turned out to be a vital miss for the away side.
After winning the toss and fielding, the bowlers did well to restrict Bangladesh to what looked an under-par total.
They had the home batsmen in trouble from the start when Chowdhury Rizwan was dismissed for a duck by van Vuuren, who also accounted for Mahfijul Islam (26). Rayhan Rahman (19) and Ariful Islam (11) were two of the other victims for the SA bowlers as they had the hosts four down for 63 inside the first 15 overs.
Spinner Ndwandwa worked his magic thereafter by adding three scalps to his name, including that of the dangerous Akbar Ali (38), leaving the total on 118-7. And when Wasi Siddiquee was run out for a duck by Meeka-eel Prince and George van Heerden on the same total, the South Africans were ecstatic as the end looked near.
However, Bangladesh international Hasan and innings top-scorer Mahfuzur Rabby (58 off 77 balls; five fours, three sixes) produced a defining rearguard stand worth 84 for the ninth wicket to carry their side above 200. The latter was finally last man out to Nqobani Mokoena (1-42), the hosts bowled out with 4.1 overs to spare.
Despite their late defiance, the total looked short. But the South Africans did not capitalise and were themselves dismissed in only 38.2 overs.
Van Heerden (34) gave them a fair start, even though Meeka-eel Prince (2) and Richard Seletswane (five) fell cheaply at the other end.
Andile Mokgakane (35) then continued his good form, though he failed to kick on. He took the visitors to 80 when he became Hasan’s third victim.
Two of the stars of the previous game, Dian Forrester (six) and Connor Esterhuizen (five) were next to fall either side of Romashan Pillay (nought) as the visitors’ woes deepened at 94-7.
Bowlers van Vuuren, Mokoena (37) and Tshepo Ntuli (17) did their best to stem the flow of wickets from there, but there were still too many to get as the tourists fell short.
The two sides meet in the first of two four-day matches, starting in Chattogram, on Sunday.
