Rabada bowls Proteas to convincing win

Cricket365
July 12, 2015

South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada produced the best bowling figures on debut in ODI history as the Proteas beat Bangladesh by eight wickets in the first match of the series in Mirpur on Friday.

The 20 year-old Rabada claimed figures of six for 16, including a hattrick, as the Proteas bowled the Tigers out for just 160 in a match that was reduced to 40 overs because of rain.

After Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat first, they were quickly in trouble as Rabada took the wickets of Tamim Iqbal, Litton Das and Mahmudullah off successive deliveries in the fourth over.

Rabada became only the second player in history, after Bangladesh's Tajiul Islam, to take a hattrick on debut in ODI cricket and he was not yet finished as he got the scalp of Soumya Sarkar (27) to leave the home side tottering on 40 for four.

Shakib Al Hasan (48), Mushfiqur Rahim (24) and Nasir Hossain (31) tried to get the hosts up to a decent total but it was not enough. Rabada came back in his second spell to dismiss Tigers' skipper Mashrafe Mortaza and tail-ender Jubair Hossain.

Seamer Chris Morris picked up two wickets and spinners Imran Tahir and JP Duminy took one each but all the plaudits went to Rabada, who beat the figures of West Indian Fidel Edward when he claimed six for 22 on debut against Zimbabwe in November 2003.

Chasing 161 to win in 40 overs was never going to trouble the Proteas even though they were without captain AB de Villiers, who will miss this series to be with his wife who is due to give birth.

Stand-in skipper Hashim Amla (14) and Quinton de Kock (35) were out relatively early in the chase but Faf du Plessis (63 not out) and Rilee Rossouw (45 not out) saw the South Africans to victory with an unbroken stand of 99.

The second game of the three-match series takes place at the same venue on Sunday.