Debutant hits unbeaten century at No 10

BANGLADESH No 10 Abul Hasan scored an unbeaten century on his test debut yesterday to complete an astonishing comeback by the home team on the opening day of the second cricket test against West Indies in Khulna.

After fast bowler Fidel Edwards had taken five wickets to help reduce Bang- ladesh to 193 for eight, Abul and Mahmudullah (72 not out) added 172 runs in an unbroken ninth-wicket partnership.

At the close, Bangladesh were a respectable 365 for eight after adding a staggering 179 runs in the final session from only 32 overs.

Abul, 20, became only the second player to score a century on debut batting at No 10. Australian Reggie Duff scored 104 against England at Melbourne in 1902.

West Indies, one-up in the twomatch series, were completely in con- trol when Edwards dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim (38) and Sohag Gazi (0) in the same over to complete his 12th five-wicket test haul.

Edwards started with the wicket of Nazimuddin (5) before captain Darren Sammy removed Shahriar Nafees (26) and Tamim Iqbal (32) as Bangladesh went to lunch on 88 for three.

Naeem Islam was then bowled by Edwards for 16 and Shakib Al Hasan (17) edged a catch to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin before Nasir Hossain and Mushfiq led a brief recovery.

Nasir made 52 off 88 balls, his sec- ond fifty in the series, which ended with a catch by Edwards at mid-on.

Abul, who had scored only one half-century in his first-class career, was given a life on 42 when Kieran Pollard dropped a chance.

He smashed Sammy for a four and a six to complete his fifty off 55 balls. Two runs off a Sunil Narine delivery brought up his century, which made him the third Bangladeshi to reach three figures on debut after Aminul Islam and Mohammad Ashraful. – Reuters