Towhid Hridoy’s unbeaten 350 for Bangladesh A, in their unofficial Test against South Africa A, broke several batting records on the fourth day in Potchefstroom. Most notably, he now has the highest score by a Bangladeshi in first-class cricket. He also got to the top score by an overseas batter in South Africa in first-class cricket.
During the post-tea session, Hridoy broke Tamim Iqbal’s Bangladesh record of an unbeaten 334, which he made in a Bangladesh Cricket League match in Dhaka in 2020. Hridoy became the third Bangladesh batter to score a triple century in first-class cricket, after Tamim and Raqibul Hasan, who made 313* in a National Cricket League match in 2007.
Tamim was pleased that Hridoy broke his record in and called the achievement “a symbol of the progress of the country’s cricket.”
“They say that records are made to be broken. I am very happy that my record has been broken,” Tamim wrote on Facebook. “It is great to be able to score 350 anywhere, at any level and in any context. If those runs are scored in South Africa, then it is definitely extraordinary. [This] is not only a personal achievement, but also a symbol of the progress of the country’s cricket.”
Only Shahriar Hossain had made a double-century for Bangladesh A before Hridoy, back in 2003. Hridoy, who struck 27 fours and ten sixes in his 481-ball marathon, has now become the first Bangladesh batter to score a triple century on foreign soil. When he reached the triple-century mark, he became the second overseas batter after Dennis Compton, who made 300 against North Eastern Transvaal in 1948, to get to the milestone, in South Africa.
Hridoy’s 350* is also the second-highest score by any batter in first-class cricket in South Africa, after he went past Daryll Cullinan’s 337* made in 1993. Only Stephen Cook’s 390 is higher than Hridoy’s score.
Hridoy had reached 200 on the third day, and he was thankful for getting there on the same ground where he was part of the Bangladesh team that won the Under-19 World Cup in 2020.
“I made my first-class debut in my hometown Bogura,” Hridoy wrote. “Today, I scored a double-century in the same ground where we won the World Cup in 2020. I am thankful to the Almighty.”
Hridoy found support from Jaker Ali and Mohammad Saifuddin, who made 94 and 87 respectively. He added 151 runs for the fifth wicket with Jaker, and another 185 runs for the sixth wicket with Saifuddin. Rejaur Rahman Raja, coming in at No. 10, helped Hridoy with an unbeaten 31 off 110 balls.
It took Bangladesh A get to their highest-ever total of 676 for 8 declared. South Africa A batted for 12 overs and finished with 18 for 0 when both teams settled for a draw. Bangladesh A lost the two-match unofficial Test series 1-0 after falling short in the first game by an innings and 413 runs.
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