BanglaCricket Article

Rafique bhai, Mahmud bhai, Tapash and Mashrafee - LEARN HOW TO BAT FROM US, says Arafat Sunny of the Bangladesh Under-19 team and Mosaddek Hossain of Bangladesh 'A'team.

News from Cricinfo: "then frustrated by an eighth-wicket stand of forty by Arafat Sunny and Mosaddek Hossain".

Their forty run partnership has helped Bangladesh 'A' to put up a very respectable total of 242 all out in 88 overs against England. Arafat Sunny stayed at the wicket for 113 balls and Mosaddek Hossain stayed at the wicket for 51 balls.

This is a rare feat to watch, which is hardly seen by the Bangladesh national team at the International level in test match cricket.

Incidentally Arafat and Mosaddek came to bat at number eight and number nine - the bowlers' position in any team and in case of Bangladesh national team, Khaled Mahmud and Mohammad Rafique, who are known to be allrounders by Bangladeshi standards, play at the exact same position at eight and nine.

For a long time of this game, a total of 200 seemed to be a face-saving terminology, especially since Nafees Iqbal scored a century at the top. But these two players have exceeded that hope and played really well to go to nearly 250, where even Bangladesh national team's good total in average is around 250 when the team is in form.

This day belonged to Bangladesh 'A' team, but there are some things to think about for the Bangladesh national team. If the national team cannot put a higher total than the 'A' team against almost the same team, England, on the first innings of Bangladesh in the first test, then it would be a shameful act by the Bangladesh national team - as they are supposed to be the better team than the 'A' team.