Hridoy becomes first Bangladeshi to hit overseas first-class triple-century

Tawhid Hridoy etched his name into Bangladesh's cricket history on Wednesday, becoming the first Bangladeshi batter to score a triple-century in first-class cricket outside the country.

Hridoy reached the landmark on the fourth day of the second unofficial Test against South Africa A, completing his 300 from 450 balls. He was unbeaten on 328 as Bangladesh reached 652 for eight at the time of writing.

His achievement was all the more remarkable given the pressure that briefly built around him as he approached the milestone.

With Hridoy on 288, South Africa captain Marques Ackerman and several senior players gathered on the field for a discussion before opting to take the third new ball. The decision initially appeared to pay dividends as the Kookaburra ball gave the South African bowlers some extra bite and Bangladesh's scoring rate slowed.

Hridoy was beaten on 294 while attempting to drive a delivery outside off stump, prompting a strong appeal for a catch behind. The umpire, however, remained unmoved. Replays showed that Hridoy's bat had struck the pitch rather than the ball.

There were further moments of hope for South Africa at the other end. Rejaur Rahman edged one delivery that fell just short of a slip fielder and later struggled to control a bouncer that flew past the short-leg fielder. But he survived, allowing Hridoy to continue his march towards history.

Hridoy had resumed the day on 204 after Mohammad Saifuddin was dismissed for 87 with the final ball on Tuesday. Naeem Hasan joined him at the crease but was soon stumped for 16, giving South African off-spinner Tshepo Ntuli his first wicket after 45 overs.

Hasan Murad then partnered Hridoy briefly, but he was bowled for 11 by left-arm spinner Kyle Simmonds after the ball squeezed through the gap between bat and pad.

Bangladesh were 519 for eight when Rejaur joined Hridoy. From there, the pair put together a crucial partnership, with Hridoy moving past his previous first-class best of 217.

He brought up his 250 from 381 balls with a single off Simmonds. As the partnership grew, South Africa spread their field in an attempt to contain him, reducing the opportunities for boundaries. Hridoy nevertheless continued to accumulate runs and went into lunch on 274.

The South African attack could not trouble either batter after the interval, although the introduction of the third new ball gave them renewed energy. The scoring rate dropped and, for a brief period, South Africa looked capable of creating another opportunity.

Hridoy survived the scare on 294 and soon moved into the 300s. From 298, he pushed paceman Matthew Boast's delivery towards mid-on and sprinted through for two runs, completing a historic triple-century.

His celebration was relatively subdued compared with the exuberant reaction to his double-century the previous day, perhaps reflecting the toll of batting for so long. But any signs of fatigue quickly disappeared as he followed his landmark with two enormous sixes.

Hridoy's triple-century means he is now the only Bangladeshi batter to have reached 300 in first-class cricket outside the country.

Before him, only two Bangladeshis had made triple-centuries in first-class cricket, both on home soil. Raqibul Hasan scored 313 for Barisal in the 2007 National Cricket League match in Fatullah, while Tamim Iqbal surpassed that mark with an unbeaten 334 in a Bangladesh Cricket League match in Mirpur in 2020.

The previous highest first-class score by a Bangladeshi batter outside the country was Shahriar Hossain's 218 against Defence Housing Authority in Karachi in 2003, when he represented Bangladesh A.

Hridoy has now gone well beyond that mark, producing one of the most significant individual innings in Bangladesh's first-class cricket history.

At the time of writing, he was unbeaten on 328, with Rejaur Rahman on the other end. Their unbroken eighth-wicket partnership had reached 133 runs, while Bangladesh stood at 652 for eight.