County Championship
Shakib grabs nine wickets for Surrey ahead of India series
|| CF DESK ||
Shakib Al Hasan delivered an outstanding performance in the County Championship Division, securing a five-wicket haul for Surrey in their match against Somerset. The Bangladeshi all-rounder finished with impressive figures of 29.3 overs, 1 maiden, 96 runs, and 5 wickets, as Surrey bowled out Somerset for 224 in 63.3 overs at the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton.
Shakib's wickets included key players like Archie Vaughan, Tom Abell, James Rew, Lewis Gregory, and Tom Banton, leaving Surrey needing just 221 runs to win the match.
By Day 3, Shakib had already claimed four wickets, but his fifth came after a resilient 71-run partnership for the last wicket between Jack Leach and an injured Tom Banton. The 37-year-old eventually bowled Banton to secure his five-wicket haul and end Somerset’s innings.
In Somerset's first innings, Shakib had again been Surrey’s standout bowler, finishing with figures of 33.5 overs, 7 maidens, 97 runs, and 4 wickets. However, his batting has been less consistent, managing only 12 runs in the first innings, a performance he'll be keen to improve.
Shakib’s strong showing in county cricket comes after his pivotal role in Bangladesh's historic 2-0 Test series victory over Pakistan in Rawalpindi.
Looking ahead, Bangladesh will face India in their first Test match on Thursday, 19 September, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. With Shakib in excellent form, the team will be counting on him to lead the way once again.