The Champions Trophy warm-up fixtures came to an end with South Africa winning their practice game against Pakistan Shaheens in Karachi while Bangladesh lost theirs in Dubai. The tournament is set to kick off in Karachi on Wednesday, February 19 with the hosts Pakistan taking on in-form New Zealand.
South Africa have got some momentum going into the Champions Trophy with a narrow win against the Pakistan Shaheens in the informal warm-up fixture in Karachi on Monday, February 17. Wiaan Mulder is really pushing for that No 7 spot to be his own and might have just confirmed his place with an all-round show with both bat and ball as the Proteas chased down 322 runs with an over left and contributions through the order, starting from the openers to the middle and the lower order.
The Shaheens led by skipper Mohammad Hurraira’s century and Imam ul Haq’s quality knock of 98 posted a huge score on the board as South Africa had their full squad playing the warm-up fixture after missing their first-choice players during the tri-series in the aftermath of the SA20. Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi and Keshav Maharaj all of them were expensive leaking runs at over six runs per over. However, it was the crucial spells from Marco Jansen and Mulder, who picked a cumulative of five wickets, that pulled the Shaheens back from getting to 350.
There were contributions from all through the order with Ryan Rickelton, Tony de Zorzi, Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram all scoring fifties. The top three got to their fifties and retired out to let the other guys bat and bat they did. Almost all the batters in the line-up got a decent hit and eventually got over the line.
However, South Africa will have a big headache over who to play and who to leave out among nine of them, especially with Heinrich Klaasen, who didn’t play in the warm-up clash expected to be a starter in the line-up. South Africa begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Afghanistan in Karachi on Friday, February 21.
Bangladesh suffer defeat
On the other hand, Bangladesh were beaten by another Pakistan Shaheens outfit led by Mohammad Haris at the ICC Academy in Dubai. Bangladesh, who will be up against the favourites India in their opening fixture, were skittled out for 202 against Usama Mir’s leg-spin as the tweaker dismissed four of their batters. Several of their batters got starts but none of them really converted and made it big.
Haris and Mubasir Khan with unbeaten fifties made light work of the target as Pakistan Shaheens got home rather comfortably.
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