The Proteas are back! South Africa secured a convincing seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first of two Tests in Mirpur, on Thursday, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Spearheaded by a formidable performance from fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, the Proteas chased down a target of 106 before lunch on the fourth day to clinch victory.
The men’s team’s victory was underpinned by solid contributions from both bat and ball. In the first innings, South Africa posted 308 in response to Bangladesh’s 106, with a composed century from Kyle Verreynne, anchoring their efforts. Bangladesh’s struggles were clear from the start, as the Proteas bowlers applied relentless pressure, with Rabada and Mulder taking key wickets.
Rabada’s 300th Test wicket was the highlight of the match, with the bowler using his lethal swing and pace to decimate Bangladesh’s lineup. While this milestone should not be undersold, it didn’t come as a surprise to those who saw his potential early on.
“In his first season with the Lions, I said to myself, this boy will go on to take 500 test wickets for South Africa,” said Geoffrey Toyana, Rabada’s first professional coach at the Lions.
The second and final Test begins on October 29 in Chattogram, Bangladesh, where South Africa will aim to complete a clean sweep and consolidate their position in the World Test Championship standings. Meanwhile, the women’s ODI series kicks off the next day, with South Africa Women hoping to make their mark in Bangladesh.
The Proteas Women, who recently had a strong showing in the ICC Women’s World Cup, suffering a loss in the finals, will be looking to build on that momentum as they face a developing Bangladesh side on home soil.
The Proteas are looking to carry this momentum into the second Test in Chattogram tomorrow, where a win would secure a series sweep and strengthen their World Test Championship standing
Meanwhile, the South African Women’s team, fresh off an impressive World Cup campaign, they’ll aim to build on their recent success and gear up for next year’s ICC Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
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