PHOTO: BCB
Pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib was able to create a storm with the ball early in the morning session, picking up four wickets to stop West Indies A from taking a bigger lead and restricting them to 345 all out.
But Bangladesh A will have their work cut out for them as they look to avert defeat, having lost six wickets for 274 runs at the close of play on the third day at the Sylhet International Stadium Academy Ground today.
The visitors were motoring along with Joshua Michael and Kevin Oswald, reaching 329 for six before Sakib castled the latter for 32. Windies A added just 16 runs after that wicket, with Sakib bagging all of the wickets yesterday morning with a new ball to finish with 59 for four.
Shadman Islam provided sturdy resistance, but wickets fell at intervals with Zakir Hasan, Saif Hassan and Mohammad Naim unable to spend much time at the crease.
First-innings saviour Shahadat Hossain Dipu once again steadied things, stitching a 68-run stand with Shadman, who eventually departed for 74. Skipper Afif Hossain came on after but did not trouble the scorers much during a nine-ball four.
In the end, Shahadat’s tenure at the crease lasted 68 deliveries and yielded 50 runs before Irfan Shukkur’s unbeaten knock of 64 and an unbroken 65-run stand with Nayeem Hasan took Bangladesh A to 274 for six at close of play.
Shahadat’s 124-ball 73 in the first innings garnered praise from selector Habibul Bashar. “His batting was impressive. The wicket wasn’t easy since there was 6 millimetres of grass in both games. They were seaming conditions.”
With a 166-run lead, Bangladesh will look to pile up more runs on day four to make Windies A’s task difficult. The first four-dayer had concluded in a draw.
