BIRMINGHAM, Sept 12: South Africa ended a run of 10 straight One-day International defeats with a nine-wicket win against Bangladesh in their ICC Champions Trophy Pool 'B' opener at Edgbaston on Sunday.
Victory was all but assured for the Proteas after they bowled out the Asian minnows for 93 in under 32 overs following the decision of Bangladesh's 20-year-old stand-in captain Rajin Saleh, replacing the injured Habibul Bashar, to bat first after winning the toss.
Charl Langeveldt, Makhaya Ntini and Nicky Boje all took three wickets apiece in an innings where only Nafis Iqbal (40) and Khaled Mashud (24) made it into double figures. Extras were third top-scorer with 14 with four batsmen dismissed for nought.
In a reply under grey skies, South Africa seemed more concerned with beating the forecast rain than the Lankan attack. After the early loss of opener Herschelle Gibbs, bowled by Tapash Baisya for four, South Africa pressed on to victory inside 18 overs.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith was 42 not out and Jacques Kallis unbeaten on 40. Thanks to Nafis and Khaled's stand of 43, Bangladesh exceeded their lowest one-day total of 76 which they had made twice, against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2002 and India in Dhaka last year.
And their lowest score against South Africa - their previous worst was 108 in Bloemfontein at last year's World Cup - was also one more than their lowest score outside Asia of 92 against Zimbabwe in Nairobi in 1997.
SCOREBOARD
BANGLADESH:
Javed Omar lbw b L'veldt 4
Mohammad Ashraful c Kallis b L'veldt 4
Nafis Iqbal c Gibbs b Boje 40
Rajin Saleh c van Jaarsveld b L'veldt 0
Aftab Ahmed c Boucher b Pollock 0
Khaled Mashud c Smith b Boje 24
Manjural Islam Rana b Boje 1
Mushfiqur Rahman c Boje b Ntini 0
Mohammad Rafique c Boje b Ntini 0
Tapash Baisya c Boucher b Ntini 5
Nazmul Hossain not out 1
EXTRAS (LB-7, W-5, NB-2) 14
TOTAL (all out, 31.3 overs) 93
FALL OF WKTS: 1-7, 2-15, 3-15, 4-20, 5-63, 6-71, 7-72, 8-72, 9-80.
