Bangladesh national cricket team were given an idea about what to expect in Down Under as Cricket Australia XI comfortably defeated them by five wickets in their first practice match at the Allan Border ground in Brisbane on Tuesday. Tigers were all out for 232 in 45.4 overs that just proved to be not enough as CA XI reached 233-5 in 43.2 overs showing that Bangladesh need to pull up their socks immediately if they want to make a positive impact in the upcoming ICC World Cup.
Mominul Haque made highest 52 runs for the Tigers though a few other batsmen got a start. Manager Khaled Mahmud told New Age over phone from Brisbane that the Tigers were at least 50 runs short as the wicket was very good for batting.
Put into bat first, Bangladesh had to open their batting with all-rounder Soumya Sarker and Anamul Haque as regular opener Tamim Iqbal was rested due to his injury.
Together they put 26 runs before Anamul (11) departed after David Moody, nephew of former Test cricketer Tom Moody, struck the first blow for the hosts and later turned out to be the most successful bowler with 3-35.
Mominul Haque and Soumya tried to revive but hardly could make much progress as Soumya departed making 33 runs leaving Tigers at 56-2. Momimul and Mahmudullah revived their innings through 85 runs third-wicket stand before the home side struck again.
Leg-spinner James Muirhead got the better of Mahmudullah by dismissing him eight runs short of a well deserved half century.
Right-handed Mahmudullah made 42 runs from 55 balls that featured four boundaries.
Mominul was called back after he completed his fifty as Bangladesh wanted to give the other batsmen a go.
But the remaining six batsmen could add only 66 runs with Sabbir Rahman contributing 33 runs.
‘I don’t think we got enough runs on the board,’ said Mahmud.
‘The wicket was good and a score around 280 would have been competitive.’
‘Still we are not extremely disappointed as this was a practice match and we wanted to see who fits in where in these kind of conditions,’ he added.
CA were on the back foot initially after Mashsrafee and Rubel Hossain left them reeling at 2-19 before an 131-runs stand between opener James Pierson and skipper Ashton Turner brought them back into the game. .
Bangladeshi bowlers could hardly put them into any pressure while they were harst on left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, who gave away 56 runs in his seven overs.
Sakib, who made only 14, took 1-27.
‘We just could not find a gate after they were two wickets down,’ said Mahmud. As the wicket was good that pair started to dominate the proceeding soon after they settled down.’
-With New Age input
