Match overview
South Africa beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on 21 October 2024. Bangladesh, who won the toss and chose to bat, were dismissed for 106 in their first innings, a total 73 runs below the ground's average first-innings score of 179. South Africa replied with 308, establishing a lead of 202 runs. Bangladesh batted considerably better second time around, posting 307 to set a final target of 106, but South Africa knocked those off for the loss of 3 wickets. Kyle Verreynne was named player of the match.
The first innings collapse set the tone for everything that followed. A team bowled out for 106 when they elected to bat hands the opposition a psychological and tactical advantage that is almost impossible to reverse in Test cricket. South Africa seized it, and their innings totals across the match tell the story clearly: 308, then 106 for 3.
Venue and conditions
The Shere Bangla National Stadium has a long history of producing results that reward the team able to apply pressure in the first innings. Across 469 matches at the ground, the average first-innings score is 179 and the average second-innings score drops to 161, pointing to surfaces that tend to offer more assistance to bowlers as the match progresses. Teams winning the toss have opted to field on 59% of occasions, though Bangladesh chose to bat here and were punished for not capitalising on that decision.
The ground's chase success rate of 54% is slightly above average for Test venues, suggesting the pitch does remain reasonably playable into the final innings when conditions allow. South Africa's 106 for 3 in the fourth innings was untroubled by any particular pitch demons. Bangladesh's second-innings 307 showed the surface was far from unmanageable; the damage had simply been done too early.
Spinners have long held an advantage here. Mehedi Hasan Miraz has taken 10 or more wickets in a Test at this venue on two separate occasions, and Shakib Al Hasan has match figures of 10 for 153 here from a 2017 Test. Any visiting batting line-up needs a plan for slow bowling conditions, particularly in the third and fourth innings.
How to watch
Test cricket involving Bangladesh and South Africa in the UK is broadcast on Sky Sports Cricket, with live streaming via Sky Go and NOW TV. Sky's coverage typically includes both live play and day-end analysis across all five days of a Test. Check Sky Sports' schedule for start times; day-one play in Bangladesh generally begins at 04:30 UK time, making live viewing a commitment for dedicated followers.
BBC Radio's Test Match Special provides a widely available alternative for UK listeners, particularly for ICC-sanctioned series. The TMS website and BBC Sounds app carry ball-by-ball coverage for most Test series involving top-eight nations.
Recent form
Bangladesh arrived in this match in poor shape. They had lost all five of their previous 2024 fixtures, all against India, which placed additional pressure on their ability to compete against a South Africa side with some momentum. A side losing five consecutive Tests at that level will carry confidence issues that tend to show earliest when asked to bat first.
South Africa's recent form was more mixed. They won three and lost two of their last five matches in 2024, all against Ireland. That record is not emphatic, but it represented considerably more recent winning experience than Bangladesh could call on. The difference in those confidence levels likely played into what happened in Bangladesh's first innings here.
