It was Akbar Ali’s first century in a first-class game for Bangladesh’s Emerging team against Sri Lanka’s Emerging team at Dambulla today. Ali is the leader of the team that won the U-19 World Cup in 2020.
The young Tigers had a rough start yesterday at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, losing five wickets for 54 runs. The middle order didn’t do as well.
First, Akbar and Rakibul Hasan put together a 96-run stand for the sixth wicket. Hasan hit 36 runs off of 119 balls.After a bad day at the plate yesterday, Akbar and Hasan Murad put together another stand of 85 runs, which was a good way to start the day.
Hasan was out after a 135-ball 27. After he was out, Bangladesh’s game fell apart for 251, with Akbar being the last player out after a 202-ball 129.
Akbar had a great innings when he batted with the tail. He hit 14 fours and two sixes.
They haven’t hit a first-class hundred in NCL or BCL yet. After making sure with the match official, selector Abdur Razzak told The Daily Star that the hundred would be counted as a first-class hundred.
Chamika Gunasekara, a 23-year-old right-arm pacer from Sri Lanka, took all six wickets yesterday and then three more today, giving him a total of nine for 58 in 19.5 overs. Yesterday morning, bad light stopped the game when Bangladesh was 153 for six.
Both teams tied after four days of play in the first game. Sri Lanka got to 69 for 5 in their fourth innings as they tried to beat the score of 350.