South Africa make sedate start after conceding lead

South Africa cricketer Dale Steyn appeals successfully for leg before wicket decision against Bangladesh cricket captain Mushfiqur Rahim during the third day of the first cricket Test match between Bangladesh and South Africa at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on July 23, 2015. (AFP)

South Africa cricketer Dale Steyn delivers a ball during the third day of the first cricket Test match between Bangladesh and South Africa at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on July 23, 2015. (AFP)

Bangladesh cricketer Litton Das avoid a bouncer from South Africa cricketer Morne Morkel during the third day of the first cricket Test match between Bangladesh and South Africa at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on July 23, 2015. (AFP)

Published Thursday, July 23, 2015

By Agencies

South Africa made a sedate start to their second innings after conceding a 78-run first innings lead to a spirited Bangladesh on day three of the opening Test at Chittagong on Thursday.

Stiaan van Zyle was batting on 33 with Dean Elgar (28) at the other end when rain forced early stumps for the second consecutive day with South Africa on 61 without loss.

Elgar twice charged out to hit spinner Shakib Al Hasan for a couple of boundaries in the same over but apart from that it was a watchful period for the two openers as walked off with their side 17 runs behind the hosts.

Earlier, a maiden half-century from wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das helped Bangladesh overtake South Africa's first innings total of 248 in the first match of the two-Test series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

A maiden half-century from wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das helped Bangladesh take a useful first-innings lead of 78 runs over South Africa on the third day of the opening Test at Chittagong on Thursday.

Playing his second Test, Das was out for 50 as the hosts were dismissed for 326 shortly before tea after resuming on 179-4 against the top-ranked Test side.

South Africa opening batsmen Stiaan van Zyl (13) and Dean Elgar (10) safely negotiated the nine overs to take their team to 23 for no loss in their second innings at the break, trailing Bangladesh by 55 runs.

Das added 82 for the sixth wicket with all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan (47) after Bangladesh, who had stunned the tourists 2-1 in the preceding ODI series, lost captain Mushfiqur Rahim to Dale Steyn for 28.

South Africa captain Hashim Amla challenged the umpire's original not-out verdict against the leg-before appeal and managed to get it overturned.

Steyn (3-78) also dismissed the last two Bangladesh batsmen to take his Test tally to 399 wickets.

Shakib and Das batted resolutely before steering Bangladesh, who have lost all of their previous eight meetings against South Africa, past their opponents' first-innings total of 248.

Das, 20, added 38 runs with Mohammad Shahid (25) for the seventh wicket to boost the lead and was eventually caught by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock off spinner Simon Harmer.

Like Steyn, Harmer also finished with three wickets.

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The page was last updated on: 7 January 2016 09:27