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Search forYoung Bangladeshis keep their nerve to win with ball to spare
Thursday, July 24, 2008, 07:30
The tourists just snatched victory by one wicket with one ball to spare as a contest that has been pretty good throughout came to a compelling conclusion.
The Bangladeshis, with eight of their side aged 20 or under, deserved their celebrations after chasing down 285 in 77 overs, even though their immaturity almost cost them in the end.
They were cruising at 273-6 in the 72nd over but two wickets for Nayan Doshi and another for Jake Needham betrayed the effect that impending victory had upon their young minds.
Dhimon Ghosh and Mosharraf Hossain – the older statesman of the side at 26 – were steering their side home with a stand of 53 for the seventh wicket but when Dhiman was bowled for 41 aiming a sweep at Needham, a chink of hope showed for Derbyshire.
Dolar Mahmud decided to get it over with quickly but after hitting Doshi for four to midwicket, he was caught by Paul Borrington trying to repeat the shot to make it 278-8.
Mosharraf followed for 32 in Doshi's next over, when only one run had been added, to leave six runs needed off the final two overs with numbers 10 and 11 at the crease.
Wayne White, who put a huge amount of effort in for too little reward as Derbyshire tried to make do without Ian Hunter in their seam attack, went for only one run in the penultimate over and it was down to five off the last or one wicket to win.
Sajidul Islam took a big stride and swiped a three to midwicket off the second ball from Doshi. Rubel Hossain nudged the third for a single to tie the scores and Sajidul swept the fifth to wide mid on for the match clincher.
Derbyshire added 54 more runs to their overnight score, with Chris Rogers clipping two sixes into the car park in his unbeaten 39 and Doshi more than tripling his aggregate haul of first-class runs for the season by finishing 17 not out.
The declaration was generous. It is fair to say that not quite so large a carrot would have been dangled if it had been a Championship match but there would have been no point in killing this as a contest.
Kevin Dean was unable to repeat the havoc he wreaked in the first innings on a third day wicket that was flattening out and openers Tamim Iqbal and Junaid Siddique, two of the four members of the team with Test experience, put on 84 for the first wicket.
Tamim scored 60 off 69 balls with six fours and three sixes before he was first out, caught at long on, and the Bangladesh progress was less spectacular for his exit.
It was always going to be a day for the spinners to shine, especially in Hunter's absence with a toe injury, and Needham took the first two wickets, then Greg Smith claimed the next two.
Both bowlers had reason to be grateful for fine work from 18-year-old wicketkeeper Tom Poynton, with a couple of neat stumpings.
He also took four catches in the match and had an all-round excellent game behind the stumps to demonstrate his potential in his third first-class appearance for the county.
White had his one victim at 168-5 just before tea and Doshi took his first at 220-6 nine overs after the interval but victory was edging towards the Bangladeshis by then.
They almost let it slip but found enough nerve in the end. If only all matches against touring sides were as keenly contested as this.
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