Bangladesh reach 246/8

Mirpur, July 30: After a good start by Bangladesh on the first day of their second and last cricket Test here on Thursday, South Africa came back strongly claiming five wickets in the fil session for the hosts to end the day at 246/8.

At tea, Bangladesh were 154/3 with Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim at 25 not out and 42 not out, respectively, at the Sher-e-Bangla tiol Cricket Stadium. But the hosts then lost five quick wickets after ace pacer Dale Steyn removed Mahmudullah to break their 94-run fourth-wicket stand, reports bdnews24.com.

Earlier, Mominul Haque and Imrul Kayes set Bangladesh off to a good start despite Tamim Iqbal's early departure. Right-armer Steyn signed up in the 400-club in Tests with Iqbal's wicket in the third over of the day.

Iqbal had survived Steyn in his previous over, when Dean Elgar grassed a straight-forward catch at second slip.

Steyn, however, took the opener out as he threw his bat at another to edge one to Hashim Amla in the first slip.

With the dismissal, the 32-year-old seamer became the second South African to reach the milestone after Shaun Pollock and also the joint second-fastest to do it, alongside Richard Hadlee, in terms of matches behind Muttiah Muralitharan.

South African fast bowlers did not give the batsmen room to be comfortable. They kept it tight and attacked with short balls.

Pacer Morne Morkel struck Mominul on the side of the helmet in his second over. But Kayes and Mominul dealt with the bowlers without much trouble and steadied the ship.

Both of them dug deep in their crease to bat patiently and release pressure with occasiol boundaries off both the pacers and the spinners. IANS

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