Just to rub it in, the Proteas batted on for seven overs after lunch to declare on 573-4 against Bangladesh.
Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis had moved smoothly to their hundreds when play started after a 90-minute rain delay in the morning session on day two in Bloemfontein, but six balls after the resumption Amla wandered across his stumps and missed a straight delivery from Subashis Roy.
He had not added to his lunchtime score of 132 off 162 balls, which included 17 fours, but together they had put on 247 for the fourth wicket which had effectively taken the game away from Bangladesh.
That brought Quinton de Kock to the crease for a carefree innings. There was no pressure; the Proteas could have declared at any time. He waited 10 balls before sweeping a superb six, the first of the innings, off left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, just to add some impetus into the proceedings. He followed that with a four and another six as 21 runs were plundered off the over.
De Kock sailed on to 28 as Du Plessis cruised to 135 off 181 (17×4) and upon adding 43 to the lunchtime score of 530-3, they decided that was enough.
The nature of the game was best summed up by a comment by Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who said after the first day’s play, when the Proteas had scored 423-3 at 4.7 an over: ‘I am not able to motivate my players or guide my bowlers.’
The bowlers never looked threatening on day two, and the one moment of excitement came when Du Plessis produced a powerful straight drive which the batsmen assumed would reach the boundary. The ball hit a pile of sawdust and stopped, while the two meandered down the wicket. They were alerted to the danger just as the ball came in for what would have been a ridiculous run-out.
Another moment came when Amla, on 127, was surprised by a delivery from Subashis Roy which leapt up and he edged over the vacant slips area. That would have been of interest to the watching Proteas bowlers.
Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images
