Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud started proceedings by winning the toss and electing to field. Although Queensland Academy had only 5 real batsmen, 4 of those were highly rated in Australian Cricket. The 2 openers, Brendan Nash and Dan Payne had played first-class cricket. Brendan Nash had been around for a few seasons with a few first-class centuries to his name. The medium-built left-hander was trying his luck in opening and at coming in at 6. Coming in at 6 was put to an end when he was 1 off 83 against Tasmania last year. Dan Payne had only really come into the frame late last year, opening with Nick Kruger when Matthew Hayden and Jimmy Maher were on national duties. Today was to potentially be a day to make a name for himself.
Nash started to get a few runs on the board with Payne still finding his feet on 0. But shortly after Nash offered the edge to Habibul Bashar off the bowling of Taposh Baisya to start Bangladesh?s tour of Australia off in the way they had hoped for. This brought to the crease another short-hander, Lee Carseldine (known as Leeca to his fans). He has played in Queensland for 5 seasons but early on found himself in and out of the Queensland side struggling to get more than 30s. But at that time Leeca was scoring 100?s in the XXXX Cup and captaining Valley to glory. But last year Leeca turned the Valley captaincy of to a burly fast bowler by the name of Joe Dawes, claiming that he needed to concentrate on making the Queensland team. He never looked back, scoring a hundred against England and another one in the Pura Cup competition. That season he also brought knowledge to the selectors that he was a talented part-time left arm orthodox spinner. He was an outside chance for the Australian 30 to participate in the World Cup.
Payne was gone 4 balls later for a 10-ball duck, who was trapped lbw for Taposh Baisya to bring up his second wicket of the over. This brought to the crease Aaron Nye. A cricket brought up in the Northern suburbs of Brisbane and infact plays in the XXXX Cup for Northern Suburbs. He has played in numerous Queensland under age teams but most people had not heard of him until now. But he remained unknown and was taken victim of some fine bowling from Bangladeshi up-and-comer Taposh Baisya, claiming his third wicket and leaving the score at 3/10. This brought to the crease another well-known Queensland batsman by the name of James Hopes. Hopes has been a regular in the Queensland side for a couple of seasons but made his name with some dashing one-day knocks. But more than that he was a very economical medium pacer.
Hopes and Carseldine then turned the score over. Carseldine had not faced many balls at this time and soon Hopes had faced more than him. Hopes reached 50 just before lunch but soon after were caught behind off the bowling of Anwar Hossain Monir. Australian international Nathan Hauritz was brought to the crease. Not known as a batsman the Australian one-day off spinner saw out the lunch break without a run on the board and down the other end Lee Carseldine was 49 not out.
After the break the runs had dried up. Carseldine had moved his way into to 70s when Hauritz was still on 1. On his 39th ball Hauritz was dismissed lbw by left arm seamer Monjural Islam. Philipson was brought to the crease and Carseldine had hurried into the 80s. Carseldine tried picking up the pace but was dismissed for 92, caught by Taposh Baisya off the bowling of the captain. This brought the collapse. 2 balls later Philipson was run out by the bowler, Monjural and Hartley wasn?t even off the mark. Hartley kept his head but was rapidly running out of partners. MacKenzie and Magoffin were both dismissed cheaply. He then batted with number 11 Petrie before Hartley himself became victim of Mohammad Ashraful?s leg-spinners. Queensland Acadamy had collapsed to 201 all out at tea, with Taposh Baisya grabbing 3/33.
Bangladesh then started their innings with Hannan Sarker and Javed Omar Belim. Sarker was slowly moving the board over but Javed didn?t seem to have any intention of turning the strike over. James Hopes seemed to have the advantage of bowling to Javed each over or maybe Javed had the disadvantage of facing Hopes each over. Either way neither were putting a run on the board. Eventually Hopes got his man, getting Javed caught by Philipson for a 37-ball duck. When he was dismissed formed a mini collapse with Sarker being dismissed soon after by Magoffin for 19. Two of Bangladesh?s finest then occupied the crease, Habibul Bashar and Mohammad Ashraful. Bashar hit a six early on but then the two of them were looking to pull every ball. It worked potentially but when Philipson caught Bashar off the bowling of MacKenzie it had gone too far. Ashraful then had his eye in and hit a couple of sixes into the crowd before stumps was called. Bangladesh was 3/86 at stumps looking for a first innings lead.
These two will have to stay at the crease tomorrow if they are to have a chance of grabbing first innings points.
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