Bangladesh stare at huge defeat after Maharaj's double strike

Bangladesh 217 and 27 for 3 (Tamim 13, Shanto 7, Maharaj 2-17) trail South Africa 453 and 176 for 6 dec. (Erwee 41, Verreynne 39*, Taijul 3-67) by 386 runs

South Africa used spin to undercut Bangladesh, almost predictably, in the fourth innings of the Gqeberha Test. The visitors were reeling on 27 for three after they lost the big gun Tamim Iqbal, when play was called off for the day, after using the extra half an hour to complete the day's play.

Keshav Maharaj started it off in the third ball of the Bangladesh innings, when he had opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy caught at second slip, after the young batter edged the ball, taking the wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne's glove, on way to Wiaan Mulder's grasp. Joy became only the second Bangladesh opener to bag a pair.

In his next over, Najmul Hossain Shanto played back to another spitting Maharaj delivery that hit him on his right leg. The umpire gave it out, and the review couldn't help Shanto either. Tamim was the third wicket to fall, when Harmer got one to burst out of his front pad, caught at slip by Mulder.

South Africa had earlier declared as soon as Wiaan Mulder became the sixth batter out, with the score on 176. Verreynne had been hinting at a declaration with his unbeaten 39 off 30 balls hitting six fours. The move kept Taijul Islam on 9 for 192 in the match, level with Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Robiul Islam for the most wickets for Bangladesh in an overseas Test.

Taijul clean bowled Dean Elgar, who was playing a reverse sweep, and trapped Keegan Petersen lbw, before the tea interval. Sarel Erwee hit one straight to short mid-on off Khaled Ahmed, having made 41, in the second over after tea. Ryan Rickelton hit another to Mominul Haque at a similar short mid-on, with Taijul picking up the wicket. Mehidy, who got hit on the chest after he failed to spot a cut shot played by Erwee, trapped Temba Bavuma lbw, before dismissing Mulder for his second.

Bangladesh were earlier bowled out for 217 runs after they lost their last five wickets for just 25 runs. Mushfiqur Rahim and Yasir Ali added 70 runs for the sixth wicket after they began the day on 139 for 5. Yasir started well with three consecutive fours off Lizaad Williams, before Mushfiqur started getting boundaries too.

Yasir fell for 46, caught and bowled by Maharaj when he tried to work the ball through midwicket. When Harmer clean bowled Mushfiqur, who played a reverse sweep one ball after reaching his fifty, Bangladesh were in freefall. On either side of the lunch break, Taijul, Mehidy and Ebadot Hossain all skied the balls with Williams taking two of those catches, while Duanne Olivier held another.