Bangladesh players are ecstatic after plotting South Africa’s downfall in Georgetown on Saturday

Bangladesh enjoyed a day of unbridled celebration on Saturday with their most commanding victory over major opposition — a thoroughly deserved, brilliantly planned 67-run triumph over South Africa in their Super Eight match at the Guyana National Stadium.

Mohammed Ashraful was the major hero, setting up the underdogs’ imposing total of 251 for eight with a delightful innings of 87 before Bangladesh’s trio of left-arm spinners tied up the South African middle order in embarrassing knots.

Having recovered from the early loss of captain Graeme Smith, the tournament’s second leading run scorer, South Africa appeared to be in cruise control under the guidance of Jacques Kallis and had reached 63 for one when Kallis attempted to clear the infield but holed out to mid-on.

From then on South Africa’s batsmen, disrupted by Herschelle Gibbs’ enforced appearance at No. 7 due to a calf strain, fiddled and swatted in vain against the spinners on a pitch which became lower and slower as predicted as the game progressed.

Ashraful is no stranger to drama and glory having scored a century from as many balls to engineer Australia’s shock defeat in Cardiff two years ago and this innings was comfortably as good as anything he has produced before.

Uncharacteristically disciplined for the first 35 overs, the 23-year-old steadfastly followed team instructions to keep wickets in hand at all costs.

But when the time came to ‘express’ himself, he did so with the wild spontaneity of a good stand-up comic.

Lofted cover drives, straight sixes and spankings through cover point are one thing, even for a man so slightly built, but the most irritating and humiliating shot for a fast bowler to suffer is the ‘scoop-sweep’ over fine leg, a trick shot first pioneered by Zimbabwe’s Douglas Marillier.

The risk of scooping the ball into your face at 80 miles an hour make it all the more thrilling, and the look of uncontrollable anger and embarrassment on the fast bowler’s face make it all the more entertaining.

Especially when the face belongs to South African juggernaut Andre Nel.

Nel’s recall to the starting XI at the expense of Andrew Hall raised eyebrows, given Hall’s form with bat and ball in the tournament so far. The allrounder who will again play for Kent this summer, has been the most economical ‘death’ bowler in world cricket for the last 12 months and, with nine wickets in five games, is comfortably in the top 10.

The truth is, the rumbustious Nel needed to be given a game, having battled to contain his notorious energies sitting on the sidelines for South Africa’s first five matches. Skulking and brooding are Nel specialities but, having initially lost his place to swing bowler Charl Langeveldt — who subsequently claimed 12 wickets and became undroppable — his glowering mood darkened when Hall appeared to have done the same.

But he was given his chance and appeared to have grabbed it with both hands when he took the first three wickets to reduce the Bangladeshis to 69, and his return at the end of the innings earned him another couple — including that of Ashraful — to finish with five for 45. As tidy as the figures were, however, they were of no consolation as the maddening batsmen flicked him nonchalantly for ‘impossible’ boundaries.

Ashraful was given splendid support by Aftab Ahmed (35) who belted Justin Kemp for a brace of sixes in his solitary over and Ashraf Mortaza, who hammered 25 from just 16 balls at the end of the innings. They were, however, mere extras in Asraful’s performance which saw him dismissed for 87 from just 83 balls with 12 fours, an innings which will be remembered as one of the best in Bangladesh’s history.

“It’s very difficult to take any positives at all out of this performance,” admitted a disconsolate Smith. “They played very well, Ashraful's innings was a gem. But we didn’t do anything right, we couldn’t even get the basics right and when that happens you can’t expect to win.”

“Every win is important,” said Bangladeshi captain Habibul Bashir, “but when you beat the number one ranked team in the world it is a very special feeling.”

Michael Vaughan and Brian Lara would have shared that feeling. The shock upset has significantly increased both England and the West Indies’ chances of qualifying for the semi-finals, and both still have to play South Africa, a team which has never been as low under Smith’s three-year captaincy as they are at the moment.