South Africa beat Bangladesh by 20 runs

Quinton de Kock hit his T20I best score of 59 from 44 deliveries as South Africa beat Bangladesh by 20 runs at Manguang Oval in Bloemfontein.

The opener survived a close run-out call on 47 and sealed a 35-ball fifty with his sole six shortly after en route to topping the 52 he muscled against England in Mumbai during the 2016 World T20.

De Kock's knock, coupled with a 27-ball 49 from AB de Villiers and a late flurry from Farhaan Behardien (36no) and David Miller (25no), lifted the Proteas to 195-4 in the first match of the two-game series.

Bangladesh, beaten 2-0 in the Test series and 3-0 in the ODIs, remain winless on tour after mustering only 175-9 in reply, despite enterprising innings from Soumya Sarkar (47 off 31) and Mohammad Saifuddin (39no off 27).

De Kock and De Villiers' second-wicket stand of 79, during which the latter cracked eight fours, and Behardien and Miller's unbroken salvo of 62 for the fifth in the final five overs prevented Robbie Frylinck getting a hit on debut.

But the 33-year-old did pick up two wickets with his bustling medium pace, De Villiers earning him his first when he claimed an excellent catch running back from mid-off to dismiss Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan.

Andile Phehlukwayo bagged the key wicket of Soumya, lbw on review at the start of the 10th over, and the visitors' knock then unraveled, Shakib's side having been 92-2 at that point.

Saifuddin provided some fun towards the death, though, by walloping three fours and a six for Bangladesh, who will now aim to level the series in Potchefstroom on Sunday.

Source: Agencies