Bangladesh “A” looked set to be buried under South Africa “A”’s 512-run first-innings total, and fighting back in the match seemed difficult. But the picture changed completely on the final day. Bangladesh “A” captain Towhid Hridoy single-handedly turned the course of the match with the bat. He had scored his first double century in first-class cricket the previous day — and he didn’t stop there. On the fourth day, dominating the South African bowling attack, he carried his team into the lead in the first innings. On the same ground where he once won an Under-19 World Cup, Hridoy wrote a new chapter of history.
At Senwes Park in Potchefstroom, South Africa, Hridoy hit an extraordinary triple century, reaching the milestone off 450 balls. He became only the third Bangladeshi batter to reach the 300-run mark in first-class cricket.
Jaker Ali laid the foundation for Hridoy’s remarkable innings. Their 151-run partnership for the fifth wicket brought Bangladesh back into the match. Jaker missed out on a century by just six runs, falling for 94 off 168 balls.
Hridoy then built an even bigger partnership with Mohammad Saifuddin. The two added 185 runs for the sixth wicket, with Saifuddin contributing 87 off 171 balls. South Africa “A” had dominated the early part of the match, posting 512 in their first innings. In reply, Bangladesh “A” stood at 371/6 at the end of the third day. From there, Hridoy’s bat completely rewrote the story on the final day.