Bangladesh beat PCB by 7 wickets in practice match

Chandigarh, Oct 4 (UNI) Batting with aggression, Aftab Ahmed and left hander Saqibul Hasan fashioned Bangladesh's comfortable seven-wicket victory over Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) President's XI in a practice match at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium here today.

Aware that they needed practice which was denied to them in their country due to rain, Aftab and Hasan applied themselves with full concentration and their third wicket partnership yielded 120 runs.

Chasing a moderate total of 206 for victory, Bangladesh who open their ICC Champions Trophy qualifying campaign against Sri Lanka at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on October 7, scored the required runs for the loss of just three wickets.

Aftab, who will be celebrating his 21st birthday on November 10, stayed at the wicket for 117 minutes and faced 71 deliveries. He hit eight fours and two sixes. His partner Hasan's unbeaten knock of 66 contained six fours and one six. Hasan faced 79 deliveries and occupied the crease for 100 minutes.

Earlier, Shahriar Nafees (29) and Mohd Ashraful (6) put on 32 runs for the opening wicket before the latter was bowled by Amit Uniyal (2 for 34). Nafees returned to the pavilion, adjudged leg before wicket to Uniyal, at the team's score of 66.

Then came the match-winning century partnership between Aftab and Saqibul.

Earlier, seamers Syed Rasel (3 for 38) and Farhad Reza (3 for 32) helped Bangladesh restrict Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) President XI to 205 all out in 49.1 overs in a Champions Trophy practice match at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium here today.

The duo were well supported by Abdur Razzak (2 for 27) and Mohd Rafique (2 for 38).

Electing to bat after winning the toss, PCA were in trouble right at the start of the match. After just four overs Rasel picked up two wickets (2-1-4-2). In fact, the first three PCA wickets of Sunny Sohal (36), Ravinder Singh (3) and Ravneet Ricky (4), were taken by Rasel.

At one stage the PCA were precariously placed at 57-5 in 17.1 overs. However, Sumit Sharma (28, 3x4s) and top scorer Uday Kaul (47, 3x4s) contributed valuable 64 runs for the sixth wicket before Sumit was caught by Khaled Mashud of the bowling of Mohd Rafique. This damage was done after this pair had taken the total to 121 from 57.

However, left hand batsman Uday Kaul made a painstaking knock.

The Kangra born Kaul and Amit Uniyal (34, 2x4s, 1x6) further propped up the PCA innings with a 58-run association for the eighth wicket stand. This partnership was broken by Mohd Rafiq who had Kaul stumped at the side's total of 179. Gagandeep Singh remained not out on 12.

Sri Lanka will play PCA President's XI tomorrow in the second ICC Trophy practice match at the same stadium.

Following is the scoreboard between Bangladesh and PCA President's XI Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) President's XI: Sunny Sohal c Khaled Mashud b Syed Rasel 36 Ravinder Singh b Syed Rasel 3 Ravneet Ricky b Syed Rasel 4 Pankaj Dharmani lbw Farad Reza 6 Gaurav Gupta lbw Abdur Razzak 6 Sumit Sharma c Khaled Mashud b Mohd Rafique 28 Uday Kaul st Khalid Mashud b Mohd Rafique 47 Bipul Sharma b Abdur Razzak 0 Amit Uniyal c Khaled Mashud b Farhad Reza 34 Gagandeep Singh not out 12 Amandpreet Singh c Mohd Ashraful b Farhad Reza 3.

Extras (lb 13, w 12, NB 1)-26 Total (all out in 49.1 overs)-205 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-10, 3-57, 4-57, 5-57, 6-121, 7-121, 8-179, 9-191, 10-205.

Bowling: Mashrage Mortaza 9-1-48-0 Syed Rasel 10-1-38-3 Farhad Reza 9.1-0-32-3 Abdur Razzak 10-2-27-2 Mohd Rqafique 10-0-38-2 Saquibul Hasan 1-0-0-0.

Bangladesh: Shahriar Nafees b Amit Uniyal 29 Mohd Ashraful lbw Amit Uniyal 6 Aftab Ahmed lbw Bipul Sharma 76 Saqibul Hasan not out 66 Habibul Bashar not out 16 Extras (lb 5 w 10) 15 Total (for three wickets in 41 overs) 208 Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-66, 3-186.

Bowling: Gagandeep Singh 7-1-30-0 Amandeep Singh 6-0-27-0 Amit Uniyal 8-0-34-2 Rajesh Sharma 8-0-46-0 Bipul Sharma 10-0-49-1 Sunil Sharma 2-0-17-0 UNI