The Hindu : Adams bamboozles Bangladesh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 25, 2003

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Adams bamboozles Bangladesh

CHITTAGONG APRIL 25. Recalled left-arm spinner Paul Adams snared five wickets as South Africa took control of the first cricket test by bundling Bangladesh out for 173 on the opening day here Thursday.

South Africa ended the day cruising to 84 for two at stumps in reply, losing openers Graeme Smith (16) and Herschelle Gibbs (17).

Adams tore through Bangladesh's middle order, removing Mohammad Ashraful, Akram Khan and Alok Kapali and then destroyed the tail by claiming the wickets of Enamul Haq and Mashrafee-bin-Murtaza.

Adams, who returned with five for 37, his second best Test haul, mystified Bangladeshi batsmen. Going to lunch in a solid position at 78 for one, Bangladesh continued untroubled to 97 until losing four quick wickets and slumping to 125 for five in the middle session.

Rookie paceman Allan Dawson celebrated his first Test wicket by trapping opener Javed Omar leg before on 28, adding just one run to his pre-lunch total. Omar's departure ended an 83-run second-wicket stand, the best of Bangladesh innings.

Habibul Bashar (60) also lost his wicket to Dawson, caught by Boeta Dippenaar after hitting his 10th half-century and notching the highest score of the Bangladesh innings. The pair joined after an early loss of opener Mehrab Hossain, which had Bangladesh on 14 for one in the seventh over.

Hossain (6) edged a quick delivery from fast bowler and former Proteas skipper Shaun Pollock and was caught behind by Mark Boucher.

Fast bowler Makhya Ntini finished with two wickets for 45 runs, including the wicket of Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud (6).

Smith was the first South African batsman to perish after he was brilliantly caught behind by wicket-keeper Mohammad Selim off a fast delivery from Tapash Baishya. His opening partner, Gibbs also fell quickly to seamer Mashrafee-bin-Murtaza trying to play shots as the South Africans lost two wickets within three runs to slip to 41 for two.

Those were the only bowling successes of Bangladesh as debutante left-hand batsman Jacques Rudolph (15) built a unbeaten stand with Dippenaar (16).

However, Bangladeshi spinners bowled economically preventing South African batsmen from playing big shots in a slow pitch. Earlier, Mahmud won the toss and elected to bat first.

Ahead of the match, Mahmud said Bangladesh was desperate to at least force a draw against the No. 1-ranked South Africans to arrest a sequence that has included 15 losses and a rain-enforced draw since it was elevated to full Test status with the International Cricket Council.

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