Facing 481 balls without ever being dismissed, Hridoy struck 27 fours and 10 sixes. Photo: BCB
Cricket

Hridoy's 350 becomes highest-ever first-class innings by a Bangladeshi in draw with South Africa 'A'

Sports Desk

Towhid Hridoy rewrote Bangladesh's first-class record books with an unbeaten 350, the highest score by any Bangladeshi batter in the format, as Bangladesh A secured a draw against South Africa A in the second unofficial Test in Potchefstroom on Wednesday.

Hridoy brought up the milestone by pushing a delivery from Teboho Ntuli towards midwicket for a single, offering no celebration beyond a simple thumbs-up to the umpire as he signalled the end of his marathon innings. His declaration as Bangladesh A captain soon followed.

Facing 481 balls without ever being dismissed, Hridoy struck 27 fours and 10 sixes on his way to the landmark.

Opposition fielders came from across the ground to shake his hand and pat him on the back, while his own teammates gathered outside the dressing room to greet him as he walked off.

The innings carried added significance given its setting, with Hridoy having been part of Bangladesh's Under-19 World Cup-winning side at the very same Potchefstroom ground back in 2020.

Bangladesh A ultimately declared on 676 for eight, having resumed the final day with Hridoy already unbeaten on 204.

He moved past his own previous first-class best of 217 early in the morning session, before overtaking Shahriar Hossain's 218, the long-standing record for the highest score by a Bangladeshi batter overseas, set against Defence Housing Authority in Karachi back in 2003.

Wickets fell steadily at the other end, with Naeem Hasan and Hasan Murad both departing cheaply, leaving Bangladesh A eight down with Hridoy on 225.

Rejaur Rahman Raja, batting at No. 10, then provided crucial support as the innings, and the records, continued to pile up.

Hridoy reached 250 off 381 balls and went to lunch on 274, surviving South Africa A's introduction of the third new ball in an attempt to break the stand. He brought up his triple century off 450 balls shortly afterwards, before going to tea unbeaten on 333.

South Africa A captain Mark Ackermann approached him during the interval to ask whether Bangladesh A intended to declare, but Hridoy made clear he planned to continue, evidently with a specific target in mind. He duly raced from 300 to 350 in just 31 deliveries after the break.

In doing so, he surpassed both Rakibul Hasan's 313 and Tamim Iqbal's 334, previously the only two triple centuries in Bangladesh's first-class history, to become the new outright record holder.

His innings also stands as the second-highest ever recorded on South African soil, behind only Steven Cook's 390 for the Lions in 2009, and the first triple century by an overseas batter in the country since Denis Compton's 300 for the MCC in 1948.

Rezaur remained unbeaten on 31 from 110 balls, having shared an unbroken 157-run eighth-wicket stand with his captain that carried Bangladesh A to their declaration and a first-innings lead of 164 runs.

South Africa A's bowlers paid heavily for the effort, with left-arm spinner Kyle Simonds taking four wickets while conceding almost enough runs for a triple century of his own, and off-spinner Teboho Ntuli similarly leaking close to 200 runs.

The match ultimately petered out into a draw after South Africa A reached 18 without loss in 12 overs of their second innings.

The result marked a remarkable turnaround for Bangladesh A, who had lost the opening unofficial Test in Pretoria by an innings and 413 runs. Hridoy was the unsurprising choice for Player of the Match, while South Africa A's Sinethemba Keshile, having scored a double century in the first match and a further century in this one, was named Player of the Series.

Attention now turns to a three-match ODI series between the two sides, beginning on Sunday in Bloemfontein, with Hridoy set to continue leading Bangladesh A into the white-ball leg of the tour.

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