ACS Overseas First-Class Annual 2019

77 Bangladesh in 2018/19 As a Test nation, Bangladesh continued to frustrate their legion of devoted supporters as relatively encouraging results (generally at home) were offset by dismal performances (usually overseas) bringing back unwelcome memories of the side’s early days as the whipping-boys of Test cricket. As recorded in last year’s Annual , the 2018 ‘off’ season had ended with two heavy defeats in West Indies (including a total of 43 all out in the first Test) but the 2018/19 Test programme began with something possibly even worse: defeat by 151 runs at home to Zimbabwe. It is true that this setback was avenged with victory in the second Test: but even so, Zimbabwe’s wretched Test form in recent years, coupled with the fact that on home pitches Bangladesh have proved a handful even for England and Australia, made this a chastening reverse for Bangladeshi cricket. The arrival of somewhat stronger opponents, in the form of West Indies, might therefore have seemed a real challenge. This time, though, Bangladesh asserted the value of home advantage, and prevailed in a well-contested first Test before Mehedi Hasan’s 12-117 gave them a huge win in the second. At the end of this rubber Bangladesh had won five of their last nine home Tests; an unremarkable record, perhaps, for many countries but for Bangladesh, a staggering improvement in form considering that the side’s first 52 home Tests had brought only four victories. The first Test against West Indies also brought a notable individual milestone as Shakib Al Hasan reached the all-round mark of 3000 runs and 200 wickets in only his 54th Test, edging out the previous record-holder, one I.T.Botham, who had required 55. Travel abroad, however, especially outside Asia, remained a huge challenge. Two Tests in New Zealand both resulted in innings defeats, the only comfort for Bangladesh being a spirited innings of 429 when the side went in again against a deficit of 481 in the first Test, including a 235-run partnership for the fifth wicket by Soumya Sarkar and Mahmudullah. The third Test, planned for Christchurch, was cancelled in tragic circumstances after two mosques in the city were attacked. And so, at the end of the 2019 season, after another year of ups and downs, Bangladesh remained rooted in ninth place in the Test rankings. The Bangladesh A team was inactive in 2018/19 but in the 2019 ‘off’ season hosted Afghanistan A for two matches, losing the first before the second was ruined by rain. Domestically, the National Cricket League was crammed into a tight window in October and early November. Batsmen were generally in the ascendant; indeed, in Tier 1 only three of the twelve matches reached a result (although this was an improvement on one out of twelve in Tier 1 last season). Of the three wins, two were claimed by Rajshahi who thus became League champions and, having been promoted from Tier 2 last season, recorded the fine achievement of winning both tiers in successive seasons. Defending champions Khulna slipped back to third, while Barisal were relegated. Last season’s relegated side, Dhaka Division, headed Tier 2 to secure an immediate return to the top level. In the process they claimed a record for domestic matches in Bangladesh with an opening stand of 350 against Chittagong. It is striking that while Bangladeshi pitches cause the most illustrious of visiting batsmen to struggle like novices, they appear – at least on the evidence of the National League – to hold no terrors whatsoever for home-grown batsmen. The zonal competition, the Bangladesh Cricket League, which aims to provide a higher standard of competition, was played in late November and December. Last year’s champions, South Zone, seemed to be out of contention at the half-way mark, with only a defeat and two draws at that stage; but two wins in their last three matches saw them retain their title.