DHAKA, -A clueless batting performance saw Bangladesh dismissed for 84 in 18.2 overs against South Africa in their fourth match of the Super 12 of Twenty20 World Cup at Sheikh Jayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi today.

South Africa fast bowlers, Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada were the wrecker-in-chief, claiming three wickets apiece with express pace that left Bangladesh in a precarious position from the very beginning. The 84 was Bangladesh’s third lowest total in the T20 World Cup. Only three Bangladeshi batters could reach double digit figure, with Mahedi Hasan top-scoring 27.

Opener Liton Das made 24 while Shamim Patwari, one of the two changes of Bangladesh from the previous game, made 11. Kagiso Rabada firstly tormented Bangladesh with raw pace that accounted Naim Sheikh (9) and Soumya Sarkar in consecutive deliveries. He then undid Mushfiqur Rahim with an extra bounce for duck and finished his first spell with 3-14.

Anrich Nortje began from where Rabada ended. Nortje’s barrages of short balls were too much for Bangladesh. He firstly took the wicket of captain Mahmudullah with a short ball, leaving Bangladesh 34-4. When it needed to show some patience, Afif Hossain played a wretched shot in the first delivery he faced against Dwayne Petorious and saw his stump rattled.

Liton however showed the patience but was beaten off the air by left-arm wrist spinner Tabriz Shamsi for 24. Shamim and Mahedi fought it hard but South African pacers were tough to deal with.

They are however the reason that Bangladesh avoided being dismissed by their lowest World Cup total which was 70 against New Zealand in Kolklata in 2016 T20 World Cup. Nortje however cleaned up the tail, taking out Mahedi and Nasum Ahmed in consecutive deliveries in their penultimate over. Nortje eventually had figures of 3.2-0-8-3 while Rabada returned form with 3-20 in four overs.