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15 Sep 2007, Cape Town: Host country South Africa cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the Group A match at the Newlands Stadium, Cape Town. South Africa chased the victory target of 145 runs set by Bangladesh with consummate ease with seven balls to spare.
Batting first Bangladesh with Aftab Ahmed’s top score of 36 off 14 balls were bowled out for a score of 144 from 19 overs and three balls. However, South Africa cricket team, who won the toss and asked Bangladesh to bat first, just lost three wickets and reached the victory target in 18 overs and five balls.
Bangladesh cricket team, who earlier stunned everyone by thrashing West Indies, had a shaky start. They lost their first wicket of Nazimuddin, who was trapped leg before wicket by Makhaya Ntini for zero run, in the second over with just 8 runs on board. Their second wicket, Tamin Iqbal, too fell in third over with 24 runs on scoreboard.
Then came Aftab Ahmed—the top scorer of Bangladesh cricket team, who played some mesmerizing shots hitting five fours and two huge sixes. Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful played some devastating shots hitting one four and one six and made 10 runs from just three balls when he gave a catch to South African cricket team skipper Graeme Smith off Shaun Pollock’s delivery.
Apart from the Aftab Ahmed, who scored 36, none of the Bangladeshi batsmen scored more than 20 runs. Shaun Pollock was the highest wicket taker for South African cricket team with three wickets--Tamin Iqbal, Mohammad Ashrful and of Syed Rasel.
Chasing the target, South Africa had a great start. Their opening batsmen made 65 runs when their first wicket of Jean-Pual Duminy was declared leg before wicket (lbw) off Abdur Razzak’s delivery. He smashed 36 runs off 28 balls, which included four fours and one six.
South African skipper Graeme Smith, the other opener, was then joined by Morne Morkel with whom the skipper added 108 runs on board when he was caught by the wicket keeper off Shakib Al Hasan’s over. Graeme Smith made 41 runs off 34 balls that included six fours.
South Africa’s third wicket of Morne Morkel fell in the 17th over with 123 runs on board. He too made 41 runs and had banged three fours and two sixes. However, the rest 22 runs for victory were made by AB de Villiers and Justin Kemp. They made 14 runs and 12 runs respectively.
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