October 20 Sunday 2002
South Africa on course for three-day win

EAST LONDON: Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini took three crucial wickets as South Africa took a stranglehold on the second day of the first Test against Bangladesh at Buffalo Park here on Saturday. 

Ntini took three for 13 as Bangladesh crashed to 153 for seven at close of play in reply to South Africa's 529 for four declared.

They need another 177 to avoid the follow on and seem set for their 13th defeat in 14 Tests. 

South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis missed the chance of a century. He was on 75 not out when skipper Mark Boucher declared.

But Kallis said he had backed a team decision to declare relatively early in a bid to win the game within three days. 

"The team comes first," said Kallis. "We discussed it this morning and again at lunch-time and we were all in on the decision. 

"In other circumstances we might have carried on batting but we wanted to give the bowlers a good bowl before tea and the chance of another spell before the close." 

Habibul Bashar and Sanwar Hossain briefly raised Bangladeshi hopes with a dashing 66-run stand in 68 minutes for the third wicket after opening batsman Javed Omar and Al-Sahariar had been dismissed for 25. 

But the introduction of Ntini to the attack in the 17th over of the innings proved a turning point. 

Ntini had Hossain dropped by Kallis at second slip, then hit the batsman on the helmet with a bouncer and finally ended the partnership when Hossain fended another lifting ball to Boucher. 

Ntini's pace and bounce were too much for Tushar Imran, who ducked into a bouncer and was bowled off his chest, then he had Bashar caught behind for top score of 38. 

Fellow fast bowler Mornantau Hayward took his second wicket when he had Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud caught at third slip, although the ball appeared to have gone off Mashud's shoulder and not his bat. 

Then left-arm spinner Claude Henderson had Alok Kapali caught off an attempted sweep as Bangladesh plunged towards defeat. 

Boucher ended the South African innings 45 minutes after lunch when Kallis was on 75 and new cap Martin van Jaarsveld on 39 not out. 

When he was on 29 Kallis became the fifth player in the world to score 4000 runs and take 100 wickets in Tests. 

He joined Gary Sobers and Carl Hooper of the West Indies, Kapil Dev of India and Ian Botham of England. Kallis, playing in his 61st Test, has taken 117 wickets.

"I do the best I can on the field and the statistics look after themselves," he said. 

"But one day it will be nice to look back and say that I've achieved and that I'm up there with those sort of guys." 

Bangladesh's 17-year-old seam bowler, Talha Jubair, dismissed Gary Kirsten (150) and Ashwell Prince (2) within the space of nine deliveries to provide some rare respite for the Bangladeshis, who had toiled the whole of the first day to take the first two wickets. 

Jubair, playing in his third Test, had figures of two for 108. 

Kirsten and Kallis scored freely on a cool, blustery morning after resuming on 369 for two. 

Kirsten, who Friday became the first batsman to hit Test centuries against the maximum of nine different opponents, was in fluent form as he went to 150 before an attempted drive against Jubair flew off a thick edge to Alok Kapali at gully. 

Kirsten batted for 327 minutes, faced 223 balls and hit 14 fours. 

The left-handed Prince followed when he tried to force Jubair off the back foot and Kapali picked up his second catch in the gully.