Naim Sheikh’s 94-ball 82 was the headline of the rain-curtailed first day of the second and final four-day match between Bangladesh ‘A’ and their New Zealand counterparts at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday.Â
The hosts were 225-3 in 57.3 overs with Amite Hasan (16*) and Mahidul Islam (1*) unbeaten when rain poured down in Mirpur, as no further play was possible in the final session of the day.Â
Anamul Haque and Naim laid a strong foundation with their first-wicket stand of 130 runs after the Bangladesh ‘A’ side chose to bat first.
Anamul used the hardness of the new ball to his advantage while Naim was watchful at the beginning. However, the left-hander started to attack soon after the first hour of play as he smashed five consecutive boundaries in a single over off off-spinner Dean Foxcroft.
The fourth boundary brought Naim his fifty in 61 balls. He was racing towards his century but missed it when Foxcroft took a brilliant diving catch at mid-off off left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox after Anamul (48 off 97) missed his fifty by two runs.Â
Saif Hassan, however, fell soon after reaching his fifty as he made 51 off 84 balls. Zakir Hasan, meanwhile, couldn’t convert his start and was dismissed for 19 off 33.
Bangladesh ‘A’ are trailing the series by 1-0 as the visitors won by 70 runs in the first match in Sylhet.