Pakistan Shaheens fly high in Darwin

It was a happy outing for Pakistan Shaheens – a group of the country’s second tier cricketers – in Darwin (Australia) on Monday when they recorded a 148-4un triumph over Bangladesh A on the final day of their four-day match.

In an action-packed day, Shaheens bowled Bangladesh A out in 79.2 overs with Mehran Mumtaz and Shahnawaz Dahani sharing seven among them.

Requiring 408 runs to win or to bat out the day to save the game, Bangladesh A’s opening batters started the day by bringing up fifty-run opening partnership continuing from the overnight score of 20-0. Dahani struck to remove Shadman Islam (26, 65b, 4x4s) in the 22nd over.

Shaheens’ bowling attack toiled for another 21.1 overs when Mehran eked out the vital scalp of Parvez Hossain Emon, who had faced 138 balls for his 57 runs hitting six fours and two sixes. Mehran soon trapped Aich Mollah, for a paltry four, in the 50th over.

For the next 12.2 overs Amite Hasan (71, 102b, 14x4s) and Shahadat Hossain put on 57 runs ringing the alarm bells for Shaheens. Dahani made much needed inroads in the Bangladesh A batting by removing well-set Amite in the 63rd over and Ariful Islam (4, 5b, 1x4) in the 65th over with a little over two hours’ time left in the day.

With Shaheens five wickets away from triumph, Mehran Mumtaz landed a double blow in 71st over to end Shahadat’s (42, 62b, 7x4s) rearguard effort and removed Hasan Murad for a five-ball duck leaving Bangladesh A 221-7.

It took Shaheens 15.2 more overs to remove the remaining three batters as Ripon Mondol resisted with an unbeaten 43 off 30 balls hitting seven fours and Mahidul Islam chipped in with a 66-ball 15 with Bangladesh A scoring 279 all out in 86.2 overs. Mehran and Dahani collected figures of 4-84 and 3-57, respectively. Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Ali picked up one wicket each.

The second four-day match will start on Friday, 26 July at the same venue.