South Africa too strong for co-hosts

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP):

South Africa ensured top place in Group B and sent Bangladesh to the brink of World Cup elimination with a comprehensive 206-run thrashing of the tournament co-hosts yesterday.

Bangladesh's very slender hope of advancing is for the West Indies to slump to a heavy defeat and fall behind on the net run rate for the tournament today against India. Both teams are on six points.

South Africa got on top early, posting 284 for eight after winning the toss and electing to bat. Robin Peterson took 4-12 as Bangladesh were dismissed for 78 in 28 overs in a reply that never gathered momentum.

Fans started streaming out of the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium when Bangladesh lost its fifth wicket with only 36 runs on the board. The only cheers came, ironic as they were, when Bangladesh surpassed the 58 it tallied in a nine-wicket defeat to the West Indies earlier in the tournament.

Throwing stones

After that defeat, angry fans threw stones at the West Indies team bus, apparently mistaking it for the Bangladesh team's vehicle. Another mob threw stones at captain Skakib Al Hasan's house.

Shakib was the only batsman to stand firm against the South Africans.

Bangladesh lost opener Tamim Iqbal for 5 in the fourth over and the hosts quickly slipped to 21-4.

Asked what he'd like to say to disappointed fans, Shakib said, simply: "Sorry".

South Africa skipper Graeme Smith said his Proteas squad was hitting the kind of form which made them good prospects to win the tournament.

"That'd be terrific. We're just going to take it a step at a time, change nothing and just keep going the way we are,'' he said. "Hopefully, a bit of luck, and we'll get there.''