Bangladesh take two-wicket win over Australian Academy

Bangladesh scored a two-wicket victory over the Commonwealth Bank Academy with six minutes to spare at Allan Border Field in Brisbane today.

In a match of three declarations, Bangladesh were set a target of 230 runs in a minimum of 71 overs, and made it when Khaled Mahmud hit a full ball from Peter Worthington for four runs over mid-on.

Earlier, the Academy side consolidated their overnight position of 99 for 4 as Aaron Nye and Callum Ferguson added another 104 runs to the Academy total before the declaration was made. Their stand was worth 131 runs in 108 minutes.

Nye was 89 not out scored in 184-minutes from 127 balls while Ferguson was 48 not out off 84 balls. Mashrafe Mortaza finished with 2 for 31 for Bangladesh. It was a sporting declaration made by the Australians who could well have been tempted to bat on a little longer. The Bangladeshis could have rightfully claimed another five minutes when the 30-minute lunch break was extended to 35 minutes, because the umpires had forgotten to take the ball back out with them.

It seemed going into the last few overs that Bangladesh may have squandered their chance for victory by not taking runs on offer earlier in their innings. They started comfortably although Javed Omar was out for 14, off only eight balls, when the score was 15 while Habibul Bashar scored 17 off 26 balls. Hannan Sarker played a more anchor-like role in scoring his 23 off 107 balls.

But the real momentum to the innings was provided by Mohammad Ashraful who scored 61 to keep the side in the hunt. He spent two hours in the middle, facing 105 balls, and while there were still 96 runs to go when he departed, Khaled Mashud joined Alok Kopali and added another 43 runs before Mashud was dismissed for 28 off 34 balls.

Kopali carried on to reach 44 but he was caught by Rhett Lockyear from Steven Magoffin's bowling when the score was 211. Khaled Mahmud proved the man for the challenge, however, and while he lost Mortaza for one, he kept the strike at the right times and had the satisfaction of hitting the winning runs. His 28 were scored in 58 minutes off 45 balls.

Worthington may have conceded the winning runs but he was the most successful of the Academy bowlers taking 3 for 31 from his 12 overs. Mark Cleary took 2 for 45 and Magoffin 2 for 64 from his 15 overs.

Bangladesh's last game before the first Test against Australia, starts on Thursday in Darwin against the Northern Territory Chief Minister's XI.