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South Africa make slow, solid start

Graeme Smith

South African opening batsmen Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie continued a record sequence of successful partnerships as they got their team off to a slow but solid start on the first day of the first Test against Bangladesh at Springbok Park Wednesday.

South Africa were 61 for no wicket at lunch after being sent in to bat.

It was the tenth successive Test in which Smith and McKenzie posted at least one 50-run opening partnership. The previous record was held by Roy Fredericks and Gordon Greenidge of the West Indies.

Smith and McKenzie were made to work hard for their runs by Bangladesh opening bowlers Mashrafe Mortaza and Mahbubul Alam, who both gained swing and seam movement off a pitch with some green patches.

Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful said his decision to send South Africa in was influenced by the amount of grass on the pitch which could help the bowlers during the first two hours.

He was proved correct but on a sunny breezy day the batsmen played with increasing freedom as lunch approached and it seemed likely that Ashraful's decision could prove costly.

When McKenzie was on 12 he became the tenth South African to score 3000 Test runs. He was on 20 at lunch while Smith had scored 39.

Bangladesh handed a first Test cap to opening batsman Imrul Kayes, 21, while Mortaza was declared fit after struggling with a back injury.

South Africa's team was as expected. The only change from the side that finished a winning series in England in August was fast bowler Dale Steyn for Andre Nel. Steyn missed the last two Tests in England because of injury.