#SAvBAN Proteas declare as Dean Elgar misses out on 200

POTCHEFSTROOM – Dean Elgar added his name to an unfortunate list when he became the 10th player in the history of Test cricket to be dismissed for 199 on day two of the first Test here on Friday.

South Africa reached 496/3 at tea, with skipper Faf du Plessis on 26 and Temba Bavuma on 31, and declared during the interval.

In an innings that already included debutant Aiden Markram being dismissed three runs short of a century, Elgar missed out on a maiden double century when he misjudged a pull, top-edging the ball to midwicket off the bowling of Mustafizur Rahman.

It brought to an end a more than nine-hour vigil, during which Elgar faced 388 balls and hit 15 fours and three sixes.

Not that it was needed, but the innings once again reinforced Elgar’s great value to this South African side; his technique may not be of the textbook variety, but with Elgar – like it was for Gary Kirsten, Kepler Wessels and Graeme Smith – substance supersede style.

That’s not to say he can’t produce some eye-catching strokes – a few of his straight drives and the lofted drive against the spinners are delightful – but for Elgar, it’s of piano-shifter rather than player.

He shared the two most crucial partnerships thus far in the Proteas innings, 198 for the first wicket with Markram and then 215 for the second with Hashim Amla, who had completed his 27th Test century in the morning session.

For Bangladesh, it’s been a desperate struggle since their captain Mushfiqur Rahim wrongly inserted the home team after winning the toss, and Friday’s afternoon session was their most successful of the match thus far as they picked up two wickets.

Amla was the first of those wickets, lazily driving at a wide ball from Shafiul Islam – the third delivery after lunch – which flew to Mehedi Hasan at backward point.

Amla scored 137 off 200 balls, hitting 17 fours and a six in a 259-minute stay at the crease.

Elgar’s misfortune befell him an hour later, but South Africa are already in a very powerful position. And Du Plessis declared during tea to give his bowlers a go in what are unusually cool conditions.