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18-Mar-2011 10:47:00 GMT
Bangladesh v South Africa, Group B, World Cup 2011, Mirpur

Bangladesh Eyes on Quarter-final Against South Africa

Dhaka: South Africa will look to fine-tune their preparations for the knock-out rounds when they take on Bangladesh in their last World Cup group match on Saturday.

The Proteas are the only team in group B to have qualified for the quarterfinals, with four others - India, West Indies, Bangladesh and England - vying for the remaining three berths.

Skipper Graeme Smith plans to use the day game at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium to get his side ready for the business end of the tournament, even as Bangladesh seek a shock win.

"It's fantastic to have qualified already," Smith said. "Our group (Group B) is pretty tense this week and it's nice that we don't have to deal with that tension for a change."

Smith wants his team to produce an all-round show in which the batting, bowling and fielding all clicks, which he feels the side has not managed in previous matches.

"In every game there's probably something you can say we have not done well," said Smith, who is himself short of runs with 45 in the first match against the West Indies his best in the tournament.

South Africa may juggle their playing XI against Bangladesh to rest niggling injuries and give the reserves a chance to flex their muscles.

Pace spearhead Dale Steyn, who developed a minor side strain in Tuesday's match against Ireland in Kolkata, may be rested with left-arm seamers Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Wayne Parnell waiting in the wings.

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir has completed a 10-day rest period for a fractured thumb and AB de Villiers should also be available after missing the Irish game with a thigh muscle strain.

A win over Bangladesh could help South Africa finish at the top of their group with 10 points, depending on how the West Indies -- with six points -- fare against England and India.

Bangladesh start their last match buoyed by successive wins over England and the Netherlands in Chittagong.

Bangladeshis coach Jamie Siddons preferred to focus on South Africa even as the entire nation prayed for a West Indies success.

South Africa have won 12 of their 13 one-dayers against Bangladesh, five of them on the Tigers' home soil, including a 3-0 sweep in 2008.

Bangladesh's lone win came during the Super Eights round of the previous World Cup in the Caribbean when they clinched a 67-run victory on a turning track in Providence.

After Mohammad Ashraful scored 87 to lift Bangladesh to 251/8, South Africa were shot out for 184 with left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak claiming 3-25.

The Proteas can expect a similar slow wicket in Dhaka, encouraging Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan to eye an upset win.

Teams from

Bangladesh:
Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Shahriar Nafees, Raqibul Hasan, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Naeem Islam, Mohammad Mahmudullah, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Suhrawadi Shuvo.

South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, AB de Villiers (wk), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Morne van Wyk (wk).

Pitch & conditions
A slow wicket where the ball does not come on to the bat, but it has provided equal opportunities for fast bowlers and spinners.

Stats & trivia

  • South Africa have lost only once to Bangladesh but that defeat happened in the significant Super Eights match in the 2007 World Cup, when Bangladesh powered by Mohammed Ashraful (87) racked up 251/8, and then the bowlers, led by the tweaker Abdur Razzak (3-25) bundled out South Africa for 184.
  • South African spinners, Imran Tahir (11 wickets) and Robin Peterson (10 wickets) - ably supported by Dale Steyn with 10 wickets.
  • Among the batsmen, AB de Villers (318 runs) and Hashim Amla (248 runs) are in the top 10 run scorers in the World Cup so far.
  • However, for Bangladesh, only Imrul Kayes (184 runs) is in the top 25 run scorers this World Cup and Tamim Iqbal (152 runs) has been among the runs comparatively.

Head-to-head

  • Total played : 13
  • South Africa wins : 12
  • Bangladesh wins : 1

Match facts
Saturday March 19, 2011
Start time 09:30 local (03:30 GMT)


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