BIRMINGHAM: Opener Tamim Iqbal led a Bangladesh batting feast with a century as the new ICC one-day sixth-ranked nation amassed 341-9 in their Champions Trophy warm-up fixture against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Saturday.
After Mashrafe Mortaza won the toss, the Bangladesh batsmen put the Pakistan bowlers to the sword. The highlight of their innings being Tamim, who stroked 102 from only 93 balls as the left-hander struck nine fours and four sixes before being third out to teenaged leg-spinner Shadab Khan.
Imrul Kayes scored 61 off 62 deliveries with the aid of eight boundaries while partnering Tamim in a second-wicket stand of 142 after Soumya Sarkar, the third left-hander in the top-order, fell to left-arm speedster Junaid Khan for 19.
Mushfiqur Rahim further attacked the bowling by striking three sixes and as many fours in a quickfire 46 off only 35 balls, while Shakib Al Hasan (23), Mahmudullah (29) and Mosaddek Hossain (26) all spent useful time in the middle.
Junaid was the most successful of the Pakistan bowlers with four wickets for 73 runs in nine overs. Paceman Hasan Ali took 2-58 in nine overs and Shadab finished with 2-55 in nine overs but the experienced Wahab Riaz was a big disappointment.
The left-armer Wahab’s nine wicketless overs yielded 68 runs. The paceman was guilty of sending down two no-balls and four wides.
While Pakistan are heading into the Champions Trophy after a successful tour of the West Indies where they won all three series (T20, ODI and Test), Bangladesh were engaged in a triangular tournament in Ireland in which New Zealand were the other team.
Scoreboard
BANGLADESH:
Tamim Iqbal c Junaid b Shadab 102
Soumya Sarkar c Babar b Junaid 19
Imrul Kayes lbw b Shadab 61
Mushfiqur Rahim c Malik b Junaid 46
Shakib Al Hasan c Shadab b Hasan 23
Mahmudullah c Malik b Hasan 29
Mosaddek Hossain c Azhar b Junaid 26
Mehdi Hasan run out 13
Mashrafe Mortaza c Fahim b Junaid 1
Sunzamul Islam not out 0
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-2, W-16, NB-2) 21
TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 341
FALL OF WKTS: 1-27, 2-169, 3-219, 4-247, 5-296, 6-302, 7-331, 8-338, 9-341.
DID NOT BAT: Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Taskin Ahmed.
BOWLING: Junaid Khan 9-0-73-4 (1w); Hasan Ali 10-0-58-2; Fahim Ashraf 6-0-35-0 (1w); Wahab Riaz 9-0-68-0 (2nb, 4w); Mohammad Hafeez 3-0-11-0; Shadab Khan 9-0-55-2 (5w); Imad Wasim 4-0-38-0 (1w).
PAKISTAN: Ahmed Shehzad, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Imad Wasim, Fahim Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Junaid Khan, Hasan Ali, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz.
UMPIRES: R.A. Kettleborough (England) and P.R. Reiffel (Australia).
MATCH REFEREE: B.C. Broad (England).
NOTE: 15 players per side (11 batting, 11 fielding).
Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2017
