Morne Morkel twin strike rocks Bangladesh
MORKEL’S SENSATIONAL START COULD HAVE BEEN EVEN BETTER AS HE WAS DENIED A THIRD WICKET BECAUSE OF A NOBALL.
South Africa need seven wickets on the last day to secure victory in the first Test and go ahead in the twomatch series as Bangladesh struggled on a rain-curtailed fourth day at Senwes Park on Sunday.
Morne Morkel snagged two wickets in the first over of Bangladesh’s second innings and were 49 for three at stumps, still 375 runs shy of an improbable win.
South Africa, who had started the day 54-2, declared their second innings on 247 for six, with captain Faf du Plessis scoring 81 and Temba Bavuma 71.
Two breaks for rain hastened the decision to declare and when Morkel bowled Tamim Iqbal with the fourth ball of the opening over and then had Mominul Haque trapped leg before two balls later, it seemed all was going to plan for the home team.
Mominul had consulted Imrul Kayes about reviewing the decision to give him out but was persuaded not do so, only for TV replays to show Morkel’s delivery was headed well down off and that the umpire had made a poor decision.
Morkel then removed Mustafizur Rahman with the second ball of his next over only for TV to show he had bowled a no-ball, reinstating the batsman.
To add to the ignominy, he was later taken to hospital with a side strain that could rule him out of the rest of the series.
Brief Scores: South Africa 496-3 decl and 247-6 decl (T Bavuma 71, F du Plessis 81; M Rahman 2-30, M Haque 3-27) vs Bangladesh 320 and 49-3 (I Kayes 32,M Morkel 2-19)