CRICKET
Du Plessis carried off but Proteas seal whitewash
South Africa wrapped up a series whitewash over Bangladesh, cruising to a 200-run win in the third one-day international in East London.
The gulf between the sides was evident yet again at Buffalo Park as the Proteas piled on 369-6 - a venue record - and then skittled the Tigers for a paltry 169.
Debutant Aiden Markram (66) and Faf du Plessis shared an impressive 151-run stand, which was only broken when the captain suffered a back injury nine runs short of his ninth ODI hundred and had to be piggy-backed from the field by 12th man David Miller.
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At 283-2, however, South Africa had already scored more runs than Bangladesh had managed in each of the opening two games and their total was more than enough, with only Shakib Al Hasan (63) showing any fight as the tourists crumbled to another heavy defeat.
After whitewashes in two formats thus far, a pair of T20s offer Bangladesh their final hope of leaving with a modicum of consolation.
Playing in the 50-over format for the first time since making 113 on his ODI debut last year, Temba Bavuma was out on 48 when he fell to Mehedi Hasan (2-59), having put on 119 alongside Quinton de Kock after Du Plessis won the toss and opted to bat.
De Kock also fell to the young spinner after making 73, but the platform was set for Du Plessis and Markram.
Du Plessis hit 10 fours and a six as he raced to 91 off 67 deliveries, but he pulled up lame while stretching to return for a second run and played no further part in the contest. He has also been ruled out of the T20 Series.
Markram hit 97 and 143 against the Tigers across an impressive start to his Test career, but his efforts between the wickets may require work, having been run out on his ODI bow, as he was on his debut in the longer format.
AB de Villiers (20 off 15) couldn't replicate his brilliance from game two, but the damage was done and Bangladesh's ropey start to their innings swiftly put any doubt over the result aside.
The tourists were 20-3 inside the powerplay and the first five batsmen to fall did so without having hit double figures.
Shakib and Sabbir Rahman (39) shared a 67-run partnership for the sixth wicket, but South Africa's bowlers enjoyed making hay as the batsmen had, Markram taking 2-18 from three overs of part-time spin, while right-armer Willem Mulder (1-32) was also among the wickets on debut.
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