Rajshahi Division batsmen Farhad Reza, Sanjamul Islam and Muktar Ali broke several records in First-Class cricket while batting at No 7, 8 and 9 respectively in a National Cricket League match against Chittagong Division recently. Bharath Seervi compiles the records broken and set by these three lower-order batsmen.
Chittagong Division bowlers dismissed the first six batsmen of Rajshahi Division before lunch. At lunch the scoreboard read 78/6 in 26 overs with only Farhad Hossain reaching double-figure mark (22) and their skipper, Mushfiqur Rahim, going back to pavilion for eight runs. Farhad Reza, 27-year-old, and the 24-year-old Sanjamul Islam — the No7 & 8 began recovering the team. Before tea, Reza had completed his century, his fourth in his First-Class career. He faced 104 balls to achieve the feat. After tea, Islam also got to his maiden First-Class century and converted it to a 150. The duo had a partnership of 347 runs for the seventh wicket when Islam fell to Ali Akbar for 172. At the end of day, Rajshahi were 424/7 with Reza still on 182 not out, accompanied by Muktar Ali (0 not out) at the crease.
Day 2:
The second day began with Reza reaching his maiden double First-Class century and taking the score past 500 with three wickets in hand. Ali started attacking the opposition bowlers as he hit five sixes to reach his half-century. After lunch, Reza got to 250 and Ali to his maiden First-Class century. Reza got out on 259 to Ali Akbar at score of 648/8. Ali in all hit a record 16 sixes before being dismissed for 168.
Rajshahi Divisions declared their first inning on 675/9 in 135.3 overs. Remember, they were struggling on 77/6! Rajshahi Divisions went on to win the match by 403 runs on the third day, April 14, 2014 and Reza being declared Man of the Match.
Let us have a look at what were the records broken and made by those three Rajshahi Division batsmen:
# Seventh wicket partnership of 347 runs between Reza and Islam is the joint second highest partnership for that wicket in the history of First-Class cricket. They couldn’t overcome the record of 460 runs between Bhupinder Singh Jr and Pankaj Dharmani for Punjab versus Delhi in 1994/95 Ranji Trophy season.
# 347-runs partnership between Reza and Islam is overall the third highest partnership in National Cricket League in Bangladesh. Highest partnership in the tournament is 420 runs between Mohammad Ashraful and Marshall Ayub for the fifth wicket during a Dhaka Division versus Chittagong Division match at Chittagong in 2006/07.
Highest Partnership for the 7th wicket in First-Class cricket:
460– Bhupinder Singh Jr. and Pankaj Dharmani for Punjab versus Delhi, Delhi, 1994/95
347 – Denis Atkinson and Clairmonte Depeiaza for West Indies versus Australia, Bridgetown, 1954/55
347 – Farhad Reza and Sanjamul Islam for Rajshahi Division versus Chittagong Division, Savar, 2013/14
344 – KS Ranjitsinhji and Billy Newham for Sussex versus Essex, Leyton, 1902
340 – Kingsmill Key and Hylton Philipson for Oxford University versus Middlesex, Chiswick, 1887
# The innings of259 by Reza is the third highest individual score in National Cricket League in Bangladesh. He is led by Raqibul Hasan (313 not out) and Ashraful (263). And it is the highest while batting at No 7 in the tournament. The highest individual score batting at No 7 in First-Class cricket is 302 not out by AJ Kripal Singh for Tamil Nadu versus Goa in 1988/89 Ranji Trophy season.
# Reza added another 224 runs with Ali for the eighth wicket. This was the first time in First-Class cricket history that there was a 300 plus run partnership for the seventh wicket and 200 plus run partnership for the eighth wicket in the same innings.
# The partnership of 224 runs between Ali and Reza for the eighth wicket is the highest stand in the National Cricket League in Bangladesh.
#This was the first instance in the history of First-Class cricket that No 7, 8 and 9 all scored 150+ runs in the same innings.
# The innings of 168 by Muktar Ali included 16 sixes. This equals the First-Class record of most sixes hit by a batsmen in an inning in First-Class cricket.
Most Sixes in an inning in First Class Cricket:
16 – Andrew Symonds (254 not out) for Gloucestershire versus Glamorgan, Abergavenny, 1995
16 – Graham Napier (196) for Essex versus Surrey, Croydon, 2011
16 – Jesse Ryder (175) for New Zealanders versus Australia A, Brisbane, 2011/12
16 – Muktar Ali (168) for Rajshahi Division versus Chittagong Divison, Savar, 2013/14
15 – John Reid (296) for Wellington versus Northern Districts, Wellington, 1962/63
15 – Ziaur Rahman (152 not out) for South Zone versus Central Zone, Mirpur, 2012/13
# The599 runs were added out of 675 by the No7, 8 and 9 which is a new record in First-Class cricket. The trio emulated 508 runs added by Arthur Sims (184), Warwick Armstrong (31) and Victor Trumper (293) for Australians versus Canterbury at Christchurch in 1913/14. 88. About 74 per cent of runs were added by the trio in the innings.
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