DHAKA, May 4: Shaun Pollock struck twice in four balls as South Africa completed a convincing Test series whitewash over Bangladesh here on Sunday.
South Africa needed just three overs of the fourth day’s play to wrap up victory by an innings and 18 runs.
Bangladesh were dismissed for 210 after they resumed their second innings on 204 for eight needing another 24 runs to make South Africa bat again.
South Africa totalled 330 in their first innings and Bangladesh followed on 228 runs behind after they replied with 102.
South African captain Graeme Smith took the new ball immediately on Sunday, with Pollock and Makhaya Ntini using it well to end the match efficiently.
Wicket-keeper Mohammad Salim scored one run from the first over of the day, bowled by paceman Pollock, before taking another from Ntini’s over.
Pollock struck with the third ball of what became the final over of the match when Salim nicked a catch to Smith in the slip cordon to be dismissed for 26.
Mishrafe bin Mortaza then edged the first ball he faced to the fine leg boundary for four.
He kept Pollock’s next delivery out, but was bowled by the last ball of the over.
Pollock finished with two for 21 from eight overs.
Bangladesh lost the first match of the two-Test series by an innings and 60 runs at Chittagong and had lost both matches of a two-Test series by similar margins in South Africa last year.
Smith thus had the satisfaction of scoring convincing wins in his first two Tests at the helm.
“It is easy to say that we just beat Bangladesh but all of us had to adapt to the conditions here. Our bowlers bowled well, we had some good partnerships and so did well overall,” said 22-year-old Smith, the youngest South African captain.
“It has been a wonderful experience playing in the sub-continent and we know it will help us in the future,” said Smith, looking forward to an upcoming tour of England.
Left-handed batsman Jacques Rudolph, declared Man-of-the-Series, was the find of the tour for South Africa. He struck a rare unbeaten double-century on debut (222 not out) in the first match and got 71 here.
But for Bangladesh, it was just another result in a dismal record as they have now lost 18 of 19 Tests since gaining Test status in 2000, the only draw coming in a rain-hit match against Zimbabwe.
The loss here came in just over three days despite two sessions being disruped due to rain on the second day.
Scoreboard
SOUTH AFRICA (1st Innings) 330 (J.A. Rudolph 71, M.V. Boucher 71, R.J. Peterson 61; Mohammad Rafique 6-77).
BANGLADESH (1st Innings) 102.
BANGLADESH (2nd Innings, overnight 204-8):
Javed Omar c Pollock b Adams 27
Mehrab Hossain run out 14
Habibul Bashar c Boucher b P’son 33
Mohammad Ashraful c Pollock b P’son 23
Akram Khan c Rudolph b Ntini 23
Alok Kapali c Ntini b Dawson 23
Khaled Mahmud c sub (Hall) b P’son 0
Mohammad Salim c Smith b Pollock 26
Mohammad Rafique c Boucher b Adams 18
Tapash Baisya not out 8
Mashrafe bin Mortaza b Pollock 4
EXTRAS (B-5, W-2, NB-4) 11
TOTAL (all out, 83 overs) 210
FALL OF WKTS: 1-46, 2-46, 3-93, 4-119, 5-131, 6-139, 7-163, 8-190, 9-206.