Pakistan Shaheens trail by 219 runs with eight wickets in hand, finishing the day at 39-2 in 16 overs after bowling out Bangladesh ‘A’ for 258 runs on the opening day of the second four-day match at DXC Arena in Darwin.
Ripon Mondol removed Shaheens’ opening batters, Sahibzada Farhan (4 off 13 balls) and Haseebullah (18 off 46 balls, including 3 fours). Mohammad Ali (1 not out off 5 balls), sent in as a night-watchman, will resume play on the second day with Omair Bin Yousuf (7 not out off 33 balls, including 1 four).
Earlier, Pakistan Shaheens’ skipper Sahibzada Farhan chose to bowl first, and Kashif Ali drew first blood by dismissing Shadman Islam in the eighth over. Parvez Hossain Emon (30 off 75 balls, including 4 fours) formed a 60-run second-wicket partnership with captain Mahmudul Hasan Joy before Khurram Shahzad took his wicket.
Khurram and Faisal Akram then delivered a double blow to Bangladesh ‘A’. Khurram trapped Amite Hasan leg-before-wicket for seven runs in the 28th over, and Faisal Akram dismissed Shahadat Hossain for a single run in the following over. With Bangladesh ‘A’ at 104-4, Mahmudul Hasan Joy (69 off 90 balls, including 8 fours and 1 six) partnered with Aich Mollah to add 54 runs for the fifth wicket before Kashif Ali struck again.
Bangladesh ‘A’ faltered further to 188-7 after Aich Mollah (55 off 80 balls, including 7 fours) was caught behind, followed by Hasan Murad’s run-out for a seven-ball duck by Haseebullah.
Crucial contributions from Mahidul Hasan Ankon (31 off 43 balls, including 6 fours), Rejaur Rehman Raja (28 off 34 balls, including 5 fours), and Ripon Mondol (17 off 40 balls, including 2 fours) helped Bangladesh ‘A’ reach 258 in 67.3 overs.
For Pakistan Shaheens, pacers Khurram Shahzad and Kashif Ali took three and two wickets respectively, while Faisal Akram and Kamran Ghulam each bagged two wickets.
