Tamim, Mahmudullah lift Bangladesh on rain-hit day

Half-centuries from Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah, who shared in a third-wicket stand of 89, took Bangladesh to less than 100 runs of South Africa's first-innings total before rain ruined their chances of pressing towards a lead. Only 42 minutes of play were possible in the third session after a heavy shower, which abated long enough for South Africa to bowl a ball, forced an early end to the day.

Neither side will mind the break, although South Africa may have appreciated it more since it would have allowed them to rethink their tactics on a slow pitch. Run-scoring was a struggle but Bangladesh, unlike South Africa yesterday, fought through the frustration. They blunted South Africa's premier pace pack for the bulk of the day but lost three of their four wickets to the lesser-knowns to leave the match balanced.

Tamim and Mahmudullah both showed the technique and temperament to chip away at South Africa's lead. They saw off the seamers and asserted themselves slightly more over the slower bowlers but, overall, paid attention to not taking undue risks and not forcing strike rotation.

Tamim's maturity was particularly impressive. He kept his cool even as an increasingly annoyed Dale Steyn tried to turn on the heat with some conversation, after all his huffing and puffing did not succeed in blowing the Bangladesh house down.

Steyn's new accessory - a Dennis Lillee-style headband - was perhaps the scariest thing about him. He did not look like a bowler going in search of his 400th Test wicket (and he remains four away from the milestone) as he offered up too many full deliveries and too few short ones. He found neither swing nor reverse-swing on a day where South Africa's frontline bowlers seemed flat.

Vernon Philander could not make the ball talk off the seam although he held his end with a tight line outside off. Morne Morkel made conservative use of aggression when more was needed. He barely aimed for the body and did not push Bangladesh back enough to make them uncomfortable.

JP Duminy was not used at all, and it was up to the sole specialist spinner, Simon Harmer, and the part-timers, Stiaan van Zyl and Dean Elgar, to break through. Van Zyl was a surprise move, brought on after an eight-over period when Morkel and Harmer had kept Bangladesh to only 19 runs, and he got the result. Van Zyl found the movement Steyn could not and even though it was only slight swing, it enticed Imrul Kayes out of his crease after the opener had seen off a testing period. Imrul overbalanced as he tried to flick it away and Quinton de Kock pulled off a nimble stumping. Mominul Haque was dismissed three overs later when he went back to cut Harmer but was late on the shot and the ball found the off stump instead of the bat.

Those two wickets gave South Africa an opening and Amla hoped to widen it with bursts from Steyn before and after lunch. Tamim, however, gave nothing away. The closest Steyn got to success was when he induced an edge from Tamim in the first over after the lunch break but the ball skittled through the vacant second-slip region. Philander got a little closer when he also drew the edge, from Mahmudullah, but it dropped short of Amla at first slip.

Harmer invited the batsmen to take him on, offering loopy, flighted deliveries but the pair were not tempted. Both Tamim and Mahmudullah swept with caution and rarely charged at the spinner, instead poking at gaps in the field. Tamim's fifty came up off 119 deliveries with a delicate dab to the cover region.

With Bangladesh settling in, and in no obvious hurry, Amla had to do something. He brought on Elgar with tea approaching and again, his intuition paid off. Elgar also offered flight and Tamim, who had been patient for so long, could not resist a low full toss. He went down to sweep but missed, the ball dipped in and took out leg stump.

Immediately, Steyn was brought back to try and create a collapse but Mahmudullah had settled down well enough to handle it. In fact, he was so comfortable he glanced Steyn down the leg side for four to bring up his half-century, off 109 balls, and see the innings through to tea.

Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim were more positive at the start of the third session. Mushfiqur took Harmer on and seemed to be scoring more freely than batsmen on either side had done over the first two days. Before he could get too far ahead, however, Bangladesh were pegged back again. Philander rapped Mahmudullah on the pad and he was given out. He pondered over the review but chose not to take it; replays showed the ball was clipping leg stump and the decision would have remained out on umpire's call.