It was a game that shouldn’t have been the struggle it was, but South Africa seldom does things the easy way.

All the adrenaline from the India win was quickly tranquilised by a spirited Bangladesh batting and bowling effort, but the Proteas found a way to dig out an identical three-wicket win in a women’s World Cup league fixture at the ACA-VDCA Stadium here on Monday.

Chasing 233, South Africa stumbled early, with Tazmin Brits falling for a second consecutive duck. Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch added 55 runs before their quick dismissals gave Bangladesh hopes of an unlikely win.

Annerie Dercksen and Sinalo Jafta were sent back early, but Marizanne Kapp and Chloe Tryon’s 85-run stand steadied the ship. The two registered much-needed half-centuries to give their side an upper hand. They fell with 35 runs needed from 31 balls and Nadine de Klerk, as she did against India, sealed a nail-biter for South Africa.

Earlier, Bangladesh openers Fargana Hoque and Rubya Haider put 53 runs in 15 overs before the partnership was broken when the latter miscued her slog-sweep to de Klerk at mid-on. Fargana departed when a review, originally for caught-behind, saw ball tracking confirm that she was trapped in front of the wicket instead.

Sharmin Akhter and Nigar Sultana added 77 from 91 balls. With the run rate less than four after the loss of the pair, Shorna Akter began swinging her willow.

Any invitation to find the gaps was gleefully taken, as de Klerk found out when Shorna sent the ball sailing over long-on. She also had the rub of the green when a possible run out instead saw her register a maiden half-century. Alas, Shorna anticlimactically dropped de Klerk in the penultimate over of the chase, letting what would have been a famous win slip through Bangladesh’s fingers.

The scores: Bangladesh 232/6 in 50 overs (Shorna Akter 51 n.o., Sharmin Akhter 50, Nigar Sultana 32, Fargana Hoque 30) lost to South Africa 235/7 in 49.3 overs (Chloe Tryon 62, Marizanne Kapp 56, Nadine de Klerk 37 n.o., Laura Wolvaardt 31).

Toss: Bangladesh; PoM: Tryon.