ছবি: সংগৃহিত
A nerve-wracking thriller at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman saw Bangladesh Under-19 snatch a dramatic tie against Afghanistan Under-19, thanks to a sensational final-over blitz by all-rounder Rubay Islam Rezon. Needing 15 runs off the final six balls, Rezon blazed 14 runs off Amir Hamza’s over to lock the scores level in the second Youth ODI of the four-match series.
Opting to bat first, Afghanistan U19 set a daunting target of 305, finishing at 304/9 in their 50 overs. Opener Fareedullah Ihsas set the tone with a brisk 51 off 47 balls, while Noman Salarzai anchored the innings with a solid 76 off 90 balls. Late order cameos from Tahir Sarwari (43 off 31) and Amir Hamza (21 off 11) propelled the total past 300. Rubay Islam Rezon was the standout bowler for the Junior Tigers, capturing 4 wickets to restrict further damage.
In response, Bangladesh got off to a fluent start with openers Abdullah Al Muhee (50 off 45) and Zarif Siam adding 70 runs. One-down batter Al-Amin Hossain Roni played a blistering knock of 71 off 56 balls, laced with 8 boundaries and 2 sixes. Ahsan Al Mumin contributed a crucial 56 off 66 balls to keep the chase on track before a middle-order collapse briefly shifted the momentum back to Afghanistan.
With 16 needed off 12 balls, Afghan pacer Imran Mohammadi bowled a brilliant 49th over, conceding just 1 run and leaving Bangladesh with a daunting task of 15 runs off the final 6 balls.
The Final Over Meltdown:
Ball 1: Dot ball.
Ball 2: 1 run (Atiqur).
Ball 3: FOUR (Rezon).
Ball 4: 2 runs (Rezon).
Ball 5: SIX (Rezon) — equation came down to 2 off 1 ball.
Ball 6: 1 leg-bye run — scores tied at 304.
Rezon remained unbeaten on 33 off just 19 balls to complete a phenomenal all-round performance. Having won the opening match, Bangladesh U19 retain their 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
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