Sports Reporter :
Bangladesh Under-19 Cricket team made an auspicious start in the ICC Under-19 World Cup Cricket crushing Namibia Under-19 Cricket team by 87 runs in their opening Group-C match at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoin of New Zealand on Saturday.
The match was 20-over-a-side due to heavy rain (30 overs was curtailed due to downpour).
Sent into bat first, Bangladesh Under-19 Cricket team piled up a mammoth total of 190 for the loss of four wickets in the allotted 20 overs and then they restricted Namibia Under-19 Cricket team to 103 for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs.
Bangladesh made a modest start as Pinak Ghosh and Mohammad Naim, the two openers added 33 runs in the opening stand before Pinak Ghosh (26) was caught by G Lottering off D Nell.
Then Mohammad Naim and Saif Hossain contributed together 97 runs for the second wicket partnership before Naim was caught by M Nagupita off P Burger when Bangladesh’s total was 130 for the loss of two wickets.
Saif Hossain hit a captain’s knock of 84. His 48-ball hurricane innings was studded with five sixes and three fours. Saif Hasan was adjudged the Man of the Match for his outstanding innings.
Naim cracked a superb 60. His 43-ball innings was laced with eight fours and a sixer.
After Naim’s dismissal, Saif Hasan and Afif Hossain added 40 runs in the third wicket stand before Afif Hossain (11) was caught by G Lottering off S Fouche when Bangladesh’s score was 170 for the loss of three wickets.
After Afif’s departure, Saif Hasan and Towhid Hridoy added together 20 runs for the fourth wicket partnership before Saif Hasan was caught by E van Mollendorf off B Shikongo when Bangladesh’s innings came to an end.
D Nell, P Burger, S Fouche and B Shikongo took one wicket each conceding 22, 31, 35 and 36 runs respectively.
Later, E van Wyk was the only batsman of Namibia who resisted the tremendous bowling of Bangladesh. Wyk knocked a fine 55 from 52 balls featuring six fours and two sixes before he was cleanly bowled out by Hasan Mahmud.
Hasan Mahmud and Qazi Onik bagged a pair of wickets each at the cost of 12 and 14 runs respectively.
Besides, Towhid Hridoy took one wicket for four runs.
