Bangladesh kills another giant
By Orin Davidson
Stabroek News
April 8, 2007
On their day Bangladesh can create nightmares for opponents regardless of strength, reputation or pedigree.
South Africa was so confident of cruising to their third World Cup win yesterday over the minnows at Providence, the world number one ranked limited overs team's impatience to pick up their sixth point and head out of Guyana for greener pastures, was clearly obvious.
Captain Graeme Smith hinted they were getting bored by the minute and could not wait for a change of scene.
Now they are no longer bored.
South Africa's humiliating defeat by Bangladesh has left too many scary thoughts in Smith's mind, instead of a longing for the beaches of Grenada -- venue of their next two games.
In what will go down as the second major shock of World Cup 2007, Bangladesh embarrassed their mighty opponents in another entertaining encounter before a packed Guyana National Stadium crowd.
Ireland ambushed Pakistan to send them packing after the first round, Bangladesh meted out the same treatment with similar consequences for India.
South Africa, now must be wondering whether they will share the same fate for the semi-finals at the hands of the fast rising giant killers.
They will leave Guyana on four points with three Super Eight games left to endure the toughest part of their second round campaign.
They have three top opponents to meet within a nine-day period which makes it a scary prospect on the homestretch of the competition'slongest stage.
West Indies endured theirs in the first half and was totally overwhelmed by their four-match run 10-day grind. Captain Brian Lara complained bitterly about the draining effect it had on the players Now the boot is on the other foot as while the hosts are re-charging their batteries for a last ditch effort in their remaining three games, South Africa will be a lot less bored figuring out ways to defeat them , New Zealand and England to clinch one of the four semi-final places.
Bangladesh did West Indies a fine favour in the process yesterday as their upset opened the gate enough to greatly enhance the hosts' prior limited chances of advancing.
With Australia blowing aside everyone in their path in accumulating six points with four games in hand, the same as New Zealand, the two teams from Down Under seem assured of two of the last four spots.
South Africa's defeat gave West Indies an opening that placed their fate closer to the palm of their hand. It means the host team will have to rely a little less for help from others, making it even more imperative they defeat South Africa on Tuesday in Grenada.
After being hammered by Australia and New Zealand, Bangladesh coach Dave Whatmore pleaded with his players to improve their performances to avoid finishing last in the Super Eights.
Fortunately the best player took the plea to heart as Mohammad Ashraful laid the foundation with a blistering half century that laid the foundation for the others to build on for a blowout victory.
Bangladesh has had reasons to be thoroughly proud of the 22-year-old in the past. He is the world's youngest ever Test century maker. It was made on his debut, placing the youngster in a club reserved for batting greats.
Ashraful was also instrumental in helping his country record one of its biggest triumphs when they toppled then world number one Australia in the 2006 NatWest competition in England.
Yesterday he proved beyond any doubt, he is world class as his 87 runs off only 83 balls, was a gem.
It was his day as the conditions were ideal to those he is accustomed to in Asia and showed how a batsman could score fast on slow pitches.
An enthusiastic crowd, fully supporting Bangladesh to keep West Indies hopes alive, roared its approval for every one of his 12 fours that help them recover from a precarious 84-4. South Africa do not have many spinners and it was reflected in their batsmen's incompetence to the slow bowlers, moreso on a sluggish surface.
Abdur Razzak, Saqibul Hasan and Mohammed Rafique gradually squeezed the life out of South Africa's innings which disintegrated in a show of flawed attacking and defensive techniques.
It takes little to tick off their paceman Andre Nel and one can understand his rage after posting his first limited overs five-wicket-haul, only to see it go to waste in a 67-run humiliation to a so-called minnow team.
The knowledge that he is most certain to regain a first team place at the expense of Makhaya Nitni, whose 0-61 return is likely to kiss his World Cup goodbye, would be of little consolation.
If Guyana was not too delightful for the South Africans, Grenada will surely not be their paradise.