No quarter given

SA bowl out Bangladesh for 78,register 206-run win to all but end hosts campaign.

In the,end Shakib Al Hasan cut a sorry figure. The Bangladesh skipper had made 30 of the 78 runs his team scored. He was the only batsman to reach double figures in the Bangladesh innings. However,what mattered to the 25,000-odd fans and the millions watching on television was that their heroes had let them down rather badly.

The 206-run loss was embarrassing,even if it came against a strong South African outfit that had set a target of 285. The result meant that Bangladesh had all but thrown away their chance of advancing to the quarter-finals.

Saturdays loss was the second-biggest ever in terms of runs for Bangladesh and their worst in World Cups. The home side was always going to be underdogs against this South African outfit but the way they capitulated in the chase was shocking. And in response to a round of boos that resonated around the Sher-e Bangla stadium,all that Al Hasan could come up with a meek just sorry.

Story continues below this ad

Mirpur has seen both the highs and lows of Bangladeshs campaign. Two weeks ago,this very team had shown the propensity to self-destruct when they were bowled out for just 58 against the West Indies. The win over England at Chittagong revived their campaign but as batsman after batsman failed against South Africa,the fans turned sarcastic.

When Al Hasan,batting on 26,turned one from off to leg off the bowling of spinner Johan Bothan,the total read 58 for five. The fans,deprived of a heroic performance from one of their players,broke into cheers,in relief and in scorn,realising that the team would score more than what they made against West Indies. This embarrassing round of applause would have hurt the pride of the home side as much as the stones that were hurled at the West Indies team bus by angry fans following a case of mistaken identity.

The co-hosts will now want to shift their focus to the one-day series against Australia at home. But it will take a while for this team to regroup.

Tsotsobe does the job

Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel,South Africas strike bowlers,were rested,but Lonwabo Tsotsobe was good enough on the day. The South African paceman took three wickets for just 14 runs in five overs.

Story continues below this ad

Tamim Iqbal,the attacking opener,was too slow on the pull and was caught behind,while his opening partner Imrul Kayes was bowled by a delivery that sharply cut in. Spinner Robin Peterson picked up four wickets as Bangladesh were bowled out in just 28 overs. When spinner Johan Botha trapped Junaid Siddique in front of the stumps,Bangladesh were three down and on the same score Tsotsobe clean bowled Shahriar Nafees. There wasnt a semblance of a fightback from the rest,except for Al Hasan.

In contrast,the Bangladesh spinners werent effective on the slow wicket as South Africa got off to a steady start,with Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith adding 98 for the first wicket. Faf du Plessis and Jacques Kallis made half-centuries each.

We just couldnt handle the pressure here. There was too much expectation from us. Before the World Cup we had hoped to win three matches and we did it. We need to find a way to handle the pressure, Al Hasan said.

South African captain Graeme Smith said Bangladesh need to be consistent. They are a good side but they have to win more. When a team loses continuously it needs to find a way out, Smith said. Mirpur will host two quarter-finals but for this cricket-crazy nation,the World Cup is over.