Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Singh’s on song with a first ton
SIMI SINGH’S maiden firstclass century kept Ireland Wolves in contention after a tough first day of their unofficial Test match against Bangladesh Wolves in Sylhet.
The YMCA all-rounder scored a brilliant 121 out of an Irish total of 255 all out on a spinner-friendly track.
Singh struck 10 fours and four sixes in his 159-ball innings, rescuing his side from a poor start.
James Shannon (0),
Jack Tector (18) and skipper Andrew Balbirnie (10) all fell early as Ireland wobbled on 29 for 3 after electing to bat first.
While Singh unfurled his range of power strokes, Sean Terry (20) dropped anchor as the pair shared a fourth wicket partnership of 79 in 146 deliveries.
The loss of Terry just after lunch saw the visitors lose five wickets for 61 runs to go into the tea interval on 169 for eight, with Singh on a nervous 99 not out.
However, he duly reached his landmark century with a boundary off Zubair Hossain, and in conjunction with Donemana all-rounder Andrew Mcbrine launched a counter-offensive.
The pair added 46 in just 53 balls before Singh fell, but Mcbrine continued the onslaught, striking eight boundaries in his 57 from 62 balls.
Nathan Smith (1-7) struck an early blow in the home side’s reply as he had Zakir Hasan (1) caught by Terry, but Sadman Islam and Nazmul Hossain saw their team to 38 for 1 without any further alarm.
“It’s really special to get my maiden first-class hundred in an Irish jersey,” said Singh. “This will give me a lot of confidence and self-belief.”