Boucher And Prince Put South Africa In Charge

Boucher And Prince Put South Africa In Charge

Mark Boucher (left) and Ashwell Prince got South Africa out of trouble.

©Action Images / Carl Recine Livepic

Boucher And Prince Dig In For South Africa

Graeme Smith fell early on day two.

©Action Images / Scott Heavey Livepic

Bangladesh 250 (Zunaed Siddique 67, Mushfiqur Rahim 65, Ntini 4-32) v
South Africa 357-5 (Prince 115no, Boucher 102no, Shakib Al Hasan 3-77)
Scorecard
Second Castle Test, Centurion Park, day two: stumps

An unbroken double-century stand between Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher rescued South Africa and enabled them to overtake Bangladesh's first innings score of 250 after they lost four wickets on day two of the second and final Test at Centurion Park.

Bangladesh reduced South Africa to 134 for five before Prince and Boucher both completed centuries, putting on a national record Test sixth-wicket stand to put the home side back in control.

Left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan continued his fine recent form with two wickets in an over to dismiss set batsman Hashim Amla for 71 and AB de Villiers for the first duck of his Test career while his excellent spell also included the wicket of Jacques Kallis, bowled for 24.

"I had a feeling yesterday that the wicket would turn. But the important thing for me is the length and line I bowl. I think the reason I am getting all these wickets is because I am hitting the right spot continuously," Shakib said after the day's play.

Graeme Smith, aiming to finish 2008 as the leading run scorer, made 27 before he was trapped in front by a sharply-deviating delivery from Mahbubul Alam that pitched on off stump and jagged back towards the leg stump.

That left South Africa on 47 for two replying to Bangladesh's first innings score of 250, which was held by half-centuries from Zunaed Siddique (67) and Mushfiqur Rahim (65).

Hashim Amla passed 2,000 Test runs with a crisp straight drive but he and Jacques Kallis were made to work exceptionally hard for their runs by Bangladesh, who bowled and fielded with excellent discipline.

Amla was by far the more fluent of the pair, stroking 10 boundaries as the two men added 65 for the second wicket Shakib's introduction turned the game around.

Getting consistent sharp turn and bounce, Kallis lost his off stump, Amla walked for a bat-pad catch at silly point before de Villiers danced down the track two balls later with Rahim making no mistake behind the stumps to make his first stumping in Test cricket.

Prince and Boucher came together frustrate the tourists with sensible cricket although Bangladesh would count themselves unlucky after a number of marginal lbw decisions didn't go their way.

However, after tea, South Africa dominated proceedings with Prince in particular asserting himself on the bowlers with flowing drives before he hit Mohammad Ashraful for a majestic six down the ground.

Boucher ended a run of low scores by reaching his half-century shortly before drinks were taken with an hour of play still remaining in the day.

The century partnership came up afterwards before Prince reached his 10th Test century, spending 30 minutes in the 90s before a pulled boundary took him past three figures.

Boucher was fast catching him up and he registered his first Test century for nearly five years with a cut that also went to the boundary shortly before the close of play.

South Africa lead the series 1-0 after an innings and 129-run victory in Bloemfontein.

© Cricket World 2008