JOHANNESBURG, Nov 6: Fast bowler Dale Steyn took two wickets in the penultimate over as Bangladesh missed an opportunity to gain an upset win over South Africa in a rain-hit Twenty20 International at the Wanderers Stadium on Wednesday.

Set an adjusted target of 122 in 14 overs, Bangladesh needed 25 off the last three overs with four wickets left.

After a tight over by Johann Louw which yielded just three runs, Steyn bowled Naeem Islam and Abdur Razzak as Bangladesh’s hopes evaporated.

Left-arm spinner Razzak earlier took four for 16 as South Africa’s batsmen chased quick runs in an innings reduced to 14 overs after two interruptions for lightning and rain. They finished with 118 for seven.

Razzak, who was named Man-of-the-Match, claimed the best figures by a Bangladesh bowler in a Twenty20 International.

South Africa were well placed at 72 for two after 7.5 overs at the second rain break but with only 37 balls remaining after the reduction of overs they lost five wickets, mainly to reckless shots, in adding only 46 more runs.

A.B. de Villiers, who was dropped twice, scored 36 off 26 balls for South Africa.

Bangladesh raced to 56 for one in five overs with opening batsman Tamim Iqbal and captain Mohammad Ashraful going for their shots.

Ashraful made 21 off 10 balls before he charged down the pitch and was bowled by the first delivery sent down by South African captain, off-spinner Johan Botha.

Botha also had Tamim stumped for 25 off 24 balls as the innings lost momentum. Even so, Bangladesh remained in with a chance until Steyn’s double strike.

Loots Bosman and Herschelle Gibbs went on the attack in an opening stand of 43 before Gibbs was bowled off an inside edge by left-arm seamer Syed Rasel off the first ball of the fifth over.

Bosman hit 28 off 18 balls before hitting a high catch to Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful off Razzak.

Steyn returned to the South African team after recovering from an illness which kept him out of action since the tour of England which ended in September.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA:

L.L. Bosman c Ashraful b Razzak 28

H.H. Gibbs b Rasel 18

J.L. Ontong c Shakib b Razzak 6

A.B. de Villiers b Razzak 36

J.P. Duminy c Mushfiqur b Shakib 6

J.A. Morkel b Shakib 6

R. Kleinveldt not out 3

J. Botha b Razzak 1

J. Louw not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-7, W-6) 13

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 14 overs) 118

FALL OF WKTS: 1-43, 2-58, 3-72, 4-89, 5-111, 6-113, 7-115.

DID NOT BAT: M. Morkel, D.W. Steyn.

BOWLING: Syed Rasel 4-0-36-1 (5w); Shahadat Hossain 2-0-19-0; Abdur Razzak 3-0-16-4; Shakib Al Hasan 3-0-21-2; Naeem Islam 2-0-19-0.

BANGLADESH:

Tamim Iqbal st de Villiers b Botha 25

Junaid Siddique c de Villiers b Klein’dt 4

Mohammad Ashraful b Botha 21

Raqibul Hasan c de Villiers b M. Morkel 3

Shakib Al Hasan run out 4

Naeem Islam b Steyn 15

Mushfiqur Rahim run out 12

Mehrab Hossain Jr not out 6

Abdur Razzak b Steyn 0

Shahadat Hossain not out 4

EXTRAS (LB-5, W-10) 15

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 14 overs) 109

FALL OF WKTS: 1-25, 2-56, 3-65, 4-69, 5-70, 6-94, 7-101, 8-103.

DID NOT BAT: Syed Rasel.

BOWLING: Steyn 3-0-18-2 (1w); Louw 3-0-18-0 (2w); Kleinveldt 1-0-20-1 (6w); M. Morkel 2-0-15-1 (1w); Botha 3-0-15-2; J.A. Morkel 2-0-18-0.

RESULT: South Africa won by 12 runs after Bangladesh’s target was revised to 122 in 14 overs under D/L Method.

UMPIRES: B.G. Jerling and M. Erasmus (both South Africa).

TV UMPIRE: I.L. Howell (South Africa).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Mahanama (Sri Lanka).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Abdur Razzak.

—AFP