Bangladesh HP clinch 5-wicket victory against Shaheens

|| CF DESK ||

Mahmudul Hasan Joy became the unexpected hero for the Bangladesh Cricket Board High Performance Unit, claiming a five-wicket haul as the part-time off-spinner led his team to a thrilling five-run victory over Pakistan Shaheens on the final day of their four-day match at the Marrara Oval in Darwin on Monday.

Joy delivered an impressive performance, taking 5-21 in 13 overs. Rejaur Rahman Raja and Hasan Murad also contributed, taking three and two wickets respectively, as Pakistan Shaheens were bowled out for 290 in their second innings while chasing a target of 296.

The previous day, skipper Sahibzada Farhan had scored a rapid 68 off 70 balls, while Haseebullah Khan hit a half-century. Tayyab Tahir and Omair Yousuf made valuable contributions with scores in the 40s, but it wasn't enough to prevent the High Performance Unit from securing the win.

Entering the fourth day, the HP Unit needed to take six wickets, with Pakistan Shaheens requiring 160 more runs to win. Rejaur struck early, dismissing overnight batter Haseebullah for 51.

Tahir and Yousuf then built a 65-run partnership for the sixth wicket, shifting the match in Pakistan Shaheens' favor.

However, Joy, who had dismissed Sahibzada the previous day, turned the game around by removing Tahir for 43 and Yousuf for 45.

A late stand by tail-enders Khurram Shahzad (28) and Mohammad Ali (21) nearly secured victory for Pakistan Shaheens with a 57-run partnership for the eighth wicket.

But Joy's brilliance prevailed as he dismissed both batters in consecutive overs. Hasan Murad then sealed the win by bowling Faisal Akram for one, concluding a memorable victory for the HP Unit.

In the first innings, the HP Unit scored 258 and bowled out Pakistan Shaheens for 179, gaining a 79-run lead. They then set a 296-run target by posting 216 in the second innings. With this win, the HP Unit managed to draw the two-match series, having lost the first game by 148 runs at the same venue.