South Africa win T20 series against Bangladesh 2-0

Mirpur, July 7 (IANS) South Africa beat Bangladesh by 31 runs in the second Twenty20 cricket international here on Tuesday for a clean sweep of the two-match series.

Opener Quinton De Kock top-scored with 44 off 31 balls in the Proteas's 169-4, before Kyle Abbott, debutant Eddie Leie and Aaron Phangiso took three wickets apiece to bowl out for the hosts for 138, reports bdnews24.com.

Chasing 170 for victory, Bangladesh began with a flourish but after openers Tamim Iqbal (13) and Saumya Sarkar (37) departed, they never really looked in the hunt.

They suffered a mini collapse, losing wickets fell in quick succession ro be precariously placed at 82-6.

Rony Talukdar (21) and Masrafe Mortaza (17) offered some resistance against the Proteas bowling attack but Bangladesh fell short of their target and were bowled out with four balls remaining.

Most Bangladesh batsmen fell to spinners Leie (3/16) and Phangiso (3/30), holing out in the deep, trying to heave them out of the ground.

Skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza's quickfire 17 off 8 balls was too late, too little.

Earlier, a blistering 95-run opening stand by A.B. de Villiers (40) and Quinton de Kock (44) and some lusty hitting in the death overs helped South Africa to 169 for four.

South Africa 169/4 (Q de Kock 44, AB de villiers 40; Nasir Hussain 2/26), Bangladesh 138 (Soumya Sarkar 37, Rony Talukdar 21; Eddie Leie 3/16, Aaron Phangiso 3/30)