My second day's report on Asian Cricket Council website: Bangladesh rides on Nawrose’s century to down Nepal

By K.R. Nayar

Riding on Prantik Nawrose’s elegant century, Bangladesh recorded a 154 runs victory over Nepal on the second day of the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Playing in Bangladesh’s first match of the ninth edition of the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup, Nawrose displayed immense patience picking the right deliveries to hit. His century helped Bangladesh post a commanding 297 for 4 in 50 overs, well backed by Md Fahim with 54 runs. Nepal could record only 143 in 42.3 overs.

Nawrose had carried the confidence from his century against the India Under 19 team in the Under-19 Tri-nation series in Kolkata on December 1, 2021. He had played a knock of 101 and ensured Bangladesh a 113-runs win over India Under-19 in Kolkata.

 Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat on a bald wicket where the grass had been shaved off. Openers Mahfijul Islam and Iftakher Hossain gave Bangladesh a steady start. Though the Nepal bowlers could not get a breakthrough, they bowled tight and in the first 10 overs Bangladesh could score only at a run rate of three per over. Nepal earned the reward for their disciplined bowling in the 11th over when Tilak Raj Bhandari had Islam caught by Arjun Saud for 17 at the score on 39.

 

Nawrose joined Hossain and added another 28 runs before Iftikar got run out on 21 off a brilliant fielding from Mohammad Aadil Alam. Aich Mollah and Nawrose kept the scoreboard moving. Left-handed Naworse picked the gaps brilliantly despite Nepal’s tight fielding. Bangladesh went past the 100 run mark in the 26th over. Nawrose and Aich put on 38 runs for the third wicket before Aich got caught off Mohammad Aadil Alam for 22.

 Nawrose reached his half century in 63 balls off an elegant cover drive for his fifth boundary.  Md Fahim who joined Nawrose scored briskly.  Bangladesh went past the 150 run mark in the 35th over through a six by Fahim off Gulshan Jha. Fahim also hit Bibek Yadav for his second six in the 36th over. Nawrose played his pull shots with elegance and Bangladesh raced to the 200th mark in the 41st over. Fahim reached his 50 in 49 balls. He retired hurt in the 43rd over after scoring 58 off 54 balls with three boundaries and a six. He had also added 117 runs with Nawrose in 100 balls.

 Nawrose moved into his nineties flicking Yadav for a six in the 45th over and reached his century in the next over. His ton came off 98 balls with eight boundaries and a six.  Meherob Hasan, who joined Nawrose, hit a quick 21 runs off 15 balls before going for a wild shot and getting bowled to Gulshan Jha. Nawrose and Ariful Islam added another 13 runs and carried the team to a total of 297 for 4 in 50 overs.

 

Bangladesh Under-19 team. Photo: ACC 

Chasing a run rate of 5.94 needed a good start. Nepal opener Arjun Kumal lasted only six balls to score five runs before being bowled by Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Nepal skipper and opener Dev Khanal and Santosh Kari took the score to 21 when Khanal became Sakib’s second victim, clean bowled for 12. This brought in Bibek Kumar Ranamagar but his partner Kari fell to the guiles of left arm spinner and skipper Rakibul Hasan for 3. Arjun Saud and Ranamagar added 25 runs for the fourth wicket before Saud fell to Meherob Hasan’s right-arm off spin for 15.

 Four wickets down for 48 in 17.5 overs, Basir Ahamad joined Saud but found it hard to score off the tight Bangladesh bowling. In the 25 overs, they could score only 64 runs. In the 31st over left-arm spinner Naimur Rohman Noyon had Ahamad caught and bowled for 8 after the pair had added 28 runs in 75 balls for the fifth wicket.  Ranamagar, who had kept the run flowing through a knock of 33 off 60 balls, got run out by Meherob.  Bibek Kumar Yadav and Gulshan Kumar Jha put on 60 runs in 59 runs but that could only delay Bangladesh inevitable victory.  Meherob ended Yadav’s innings of 26 and while Jha got run out for 35.

Nepal Under-19 team. Photo: ACC

Prantik Nawrose, who was adjudged the Player of the Match, said he wants to extend his form into the coming matches. “This is my third century this month. I scored against India and then when we played a practice match between ourselves where I scored another century. For me what matters most is not about scoring centuries but staying on at the wicket and giving my country a good total. I enjoy doing what my country demands off me and I am happy I played my role well today.”

 Bangladesh skipper Rakibul Hasan wants other batsmen too to follow Nawrose. “I will be happy if many more centuries come in during the coming matches. We have started off well with a creditable victory. We wanted to stick to our plans as we did today. It wasn’t easy to bowl second but our bowlers bowled really well.”

 Nepal skipper Dev Khanal believes that they started the match well but Bangladesh took the match away. “We were in the game till the 34th over as we bowled well. All credit to Nawrose and Fahim, they took the game away from us through their fine knock. We also allowed them to get away taking two runs in place of singles. As a batting unit, our top order did not show the intent though the lower order batsmen did. We will look into these aspects and play better in the coming games.”

 Brief score:

 Bangladesh bt Nepal by 154 runs

Bangladesh 297 for 4 in 50 overs (Iftakher Hossain 21, Prantik Nawrose 127n.o, Aich Mollah 22, Md Fahim 58rtd hurt, Meherob Hasan 21) Nepal 143 in 42.3 overs (Bibek Kumar Yadav 26, Gulshan Jha 35, Tanzim Hasan Sakib 2 for 22,  Mehrob Hasan 2 for 20, Rakibul Hasan 2 for 25, Naimor Rohman 2 for 45)
Player of the Match: Prantik Nawrose