DURBAN: After spinning South Africa into a commanding position against Bangladesh on the second day of the first Test at Kingsmead on Friday, Simon Harmer credited English county Essex.

Harmer claimed all four wickets for 42 runs as Bangladesh collapsed to 98 for four at the finish of the match in response to South Africa’s 367 all out. He also struck 38 not out, allowing South Africa’s final two wickets to contribute 69 runs to their total.

“Essex gave me the platform to find myself again,” said Harmer as he revealed how he had regained his confidence after it seemed he had no future in the South African team.

Harmer, 32, appeared in five Tests before being dropped after a November 2015 tour of India.

South Africa tested Dane Piedt, a fellow off-spinner, and Imran Tahir, a leg-spinner, before deciding on left-armer Keshav Maharaj as their number one spinner.

“I had a lot of self-doubt,” said Harmer, who wasn’t sure he’d get another South African franchise contract before signing a Kolpak deal with Essex in 2017, which made him ineligible for South Africa until the Kolpak system was phased out in 2020.

“Essex gave me the opportunity and the platform to rediscover what made me successful, leading me to becoming a match-winner for them and being comfortable with that,” he said.

Harmer collected 491 first-class wickets in between Test outings, 308 of them for Essex, with his bowling helping them win the county title twice.

With the third delivery of his second over, Harmer bowled Shadman Islam for nine runs, the first breakthrough of the innings.

Harmer broke a 55-run stand between Mahmudul Hasan and Najmul Hossain by dismissing Najmul for 38 with a stunning delivery that drifted in and spun past the bat, bowling in tandem with Maharaj, who gave only 24 runs in 19 overs.

In Harmer’s following over, Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque was caught off bat and pad at silly point by a diving Keegan Petersen.

Harmer’s fourth victim was the seasoned Mushfiqur Rahim, who gloved a ball down the leg side to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne.

“It’s been a very good day. I don’t think I could have scripted it better,” said Harmer.

Mahmudul, who was playing in his third Test, made it to the end with a score of 44 not out.

South Africa’s Temba Bavuma top-scored with 93, while Bangladesh’s fast bowler Khaled Ahmed got four for 92. In his previous three Test matches, Khaled had only taken one wicket, that of Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

The long wait for a second Test century for Bavuma continued.

In his sixth Test match, he hit 102 not out against England in Cape Town in January 2016. He is currently in his 50th outing and has 18 half-centuries to his credit without a three-figure score.

On Friday, South Africa’s Bavuma fought through a difficult period as Bangladesh bowled well with the second new ball on a wicket that appeared to have quickened since the opening day.

Khaled struck twice, eliminating both Verreynne and Wiaan Mulder with consecutive deliveries.

South Africa were 245 for six after adding only 12 runs to their overnight total, but Bavuma and Maharaj put on a 53-run seventh-wicket stand as Bavuma neared his century.

When he attempted a cut against a delivery from off-spinner Mehidy Hasan, the ball spun back sharply and bounced off his pad into the stumps, he fell short once more. He’d faced 190 balls and smashed 12 fours in that time.

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