Days 1 & 2: Bangladesh vs SA

South Africa, as expected, are firmly on top of the first Test against minnows Bangladesh at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong.

The visiting Proteas gave maiden Test caps to Jacques Rudolph, following two false starts, Alan Dawson and Charl Willoughby.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, dumped long-serving keeper Khaled Mashud in a favour of the youthful Mohammad Salim behind the stumps.

Bangladesh were bowled out by the new-look South African attack for just 173 following a promising start, being 1/97 at one stage.

Habibul Bashar top scored with 60, while recalled opener Javed Omar made a gritty 28.

For the South Africans, Paul Adams took 5/37 in his return match. Alan Dawson finished with 2/37, Makhaya Ntini 2/45 and dumped skipper Shaun Pollock 1/22.

South Africa then lost 2 early wickets, with captain Graeme Smith falling for 16 when debutant keeper Salim caught him edging off Tapash Baisya.

Herschelle Gibbs then fell for 17 when he too edged to Salim, this time off the bowling of Mashrafe Mortaza to leave the visitors at 2/41.

However, debutant Rudolph and Boeta Dippenaar batted out the remainder of Day 1, and then all of Day 2 in what has been an amazing partnership.

Jacques Rudolph, after 2 false starts to his Test career, registered a deserved century on debut to be unbeaten on 170 at stumps.

Boeta Dippenaar, meanwhile, reached his second Test century in his stop-start career to be not out on 131.

For Bangladesh, Tapash has taken 1/44 and Mashrafe 1/78 from 17 overs to be the only successful bowlers.

Scores:

Bangladesh 173 (Habibul Bashar 60, P Adams 5/37)

South Africa 2/364 (J Rudolph 170*, B Dippenaar 131*, Tapash Baisya 1/44, Mashrafe Mortaza 1/78)

Stumps Day 2.

Posted by Andre