Bangladesh slumps chasing 274 against South Africa

Bangladesh has lost three quick wickets and is struggling at 11-3 against South Africa in the first test

Bangladesh lost three quick wickets and was struggling at 11-3 in pursuit of a victory target of 274 against South Africa after giving itself a sight of victory in the first test and another piece of history on Sunday.

Bangladesh took nine wickets for 88 runs in the last two sessions of the fourth day to bowl South Africa out for 204 in its second innings when it looked like the home team was about to build an unassailable lead.

But just as South Africa lost quick wickets to change the complexion of the match and raise Bangladesh's hopes of a first test win over the Proteas, so the Bangladesh batsmen slumped at the start of their chase to see it seesaw back in the home team's favor.

Openers Shadman Islam (0) and Mahmudul Hasan Joy (4) and captain Mominul Haque (2) were already out for Bangladesh having hardly helped in the chase. South Africa turned to its spin bowlers and not its pace men to open the bowling at the end of the day and it worked perfectly.

Keshav Maharaj collected 2-7 and Simon Harmer 1-4, and Bangladesh was in deep trouble after facing just six overs before bad light forced the umpires to call stumps.

South Africa was 116-1 in its second innings soon after lunch, 185 runs ahead and seemingly in position to build a huge advantage at Kingsmead and take the game away from Bangladesh.

But pace bowler Taskin Ahmed forced out South Africa captain Dean Elgar lbw for 64 for the crucial breakthrough and Bangladesh's other bowlers took that cue to run through the South Africans and keep the test alive.