South Africa sitting pretty on 230-run lead

South Africa reached 54 for 2, extending its lead to 230, after restricting Bangladesh to 320 in the first Test between the two sides in Potchefstroom on Saturday.

Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar, who had set up a strong platform for South Africa on the first day of the match, were dismissed early in the second dig on the third evening.

Elgar was trapped leg before wicket for 18 by Shafiul Islam while Markram was ruled out after appearing to nick Mustafizur Rahman to Liton Das behind the stumps in the eighth over for 15. Makram, though, might have been unlucky to go as replays indicated he didn't edge it and the sound heard was the bat hitting the ground. The batsman, however, seemed unaware of this and walked.

Hashim Amla (17 not out) and Temba Bavuma (three not out) made sure there were no further hiccups in the 15.5 overs South Africa faced before bad light forced an early end to the day.

Earlier, Mominul Haque and Mahmudullah hit half-centuries to enable Bangladesh to avoid the follow-on, but it conceded a 176-run first-innings lead.

Mominul made 77 – the highest Test score by a Bangladesh batsman against South Africa – and Mahmudullah scored 66.

Bangladesh has lost by an innings in all its four previous Tests in South Africa, and four successive half-century partnerships between the third and sixth wickets ensured Mushfiqur Rahim's men had a shot at improving the side's track record in the country.

Mominul and Tamim Iqbal were cautious against the hostile bowling from Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada at the start of the day, with the first nine overs yielding just seven runs. Both batsmen survived close leg before wicket decisions against Rabada in that period.

Seventeen runs came off Rabada’s fifth over of the day, including two successive boundaries from Mominul, giving Bangladesh some momentum.

Andile Phehlukwayo's scalp of Tamim (39), who nicked one to Quinton de Kock behind the stumps, was the only wicket to fall in the morning session.

But the middle session saw Keshav Maharaj get rid of Mominul and from there, wickets kept falling with Mahmudullah putting up a lone battle.

Mahmudullah found an ally, briefly, in Sabbir Rahman (30), but South Africa quickly wrapped up the innings in 89.1 overs. Maharaj finished with figures of 3 for 92 while Morkel and Rabada took two apiece.