KARACHI, Dec 24: A fine century by Mohammad Ashraful and equally good batting by Rajin Saleh rescued Bangladesh ‘A’ from total disaster in the Patron’s Trophy Pool ‘A’ tie against PTCL at National Stadium on Wednesday.

The tourists, after conceding a first innings lead of 104, crashed to 28 for three before Ashraful (106) and Rajin (97 not out) came together in a fourth wicket partnership of 184 in 198 minutes.

By stumps on day three of the four-day match, Bangladesh were 235 for four in the second innings.

Earlier, medium-pacer Anwar Hossain Monir returned his best figures in first-class cricket by taking seven for 81 as PTCL made 327, having resumed at 262 for five. Shiraz Khalid, 84 overnight, was desperately unlucky to miss his century by a solitary run.

Scoreboard

BANGLADESH ‘A’ (1st Innings) 223 (Shahriar Hossain 84; Riaz Afridi 4-39).

PTCL (1st Innings, overnight 262-5):

Babar Naeem c Selim b Anwar 34

Aqeel Mukhtar lbw b Anwar 1

Ashar Zaidi c Manjural b Anwar 0

Mohammad Fayyaz c Tarek b Anwar 21

Shiraz Khalid c Selim b Anwar 99

Shahzad Malik c and b Manjural 87

Zulqarnain Haider not out 63

Tabish Nawab c Jamal b Anwar 0

Nauman Habib c Jamal b Alamgir 12

Riaz Afridi b Alamgir 0

Yasin Bari lbw b Anwar 5

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-1, NB-3) 5

TOTAL (all out, 93 overs) 327

FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-5, 3-37, 4-70, 5-202, 6-285, 7-285, 8-300, 9-300.

BOWLING: Anwar Hossain Monir 26-3-81-7 (1w); Tarek Aziz 13-1-51-0 (1nb); Alamgir Kabir 10-0-75-2 (2nb); Jamaluddin Babu 15-2-32-0; Manjural Islam Rana 23-4-61-1; Mohammad Ashraful 2-0-19-0; Rajin Saleh 3-1-6-0; Hannan Sarkar 1-0-1-0.

BANGLADESH ‘A’ (2nd Innings):

Hannan Sarkar c Ashar b Riaz 0

Shahriar Hossain lbw b Nauman 6

Jamaluddin c Zulqarnain b Nauman 5

Mohammad Ashraful c Tabish b Riaz 106

Rajin Saleh not out 97

Ehsanul Hoque not out 8

EXTRAS (B-3, LB-4, NB-4) 11

TOTAL (for four wkts, 72 overs) 235

FALL OF WKTS: 1-6, 2-6, 3-28, 4-212.

BOWLING (to-date): Riaz Afridi 22-6-68-2 (3nb); Nauman Habib 16-1-38-2; Yasin Bari 5-2-12-0; Tabish Nawab 13-1-43-0 (1nb); Babar Naeem 8-2-29-0; Shiraz Khalid 4-0-23-0; Mohammad Fayyaz 4-2-15-0.

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