Bangladesh A Concedes Penalty Runs in ODI Against New Zealand A
Penalty Runs Impact Bangladesh A in ODI Match
In Sylhet, Bangladesh, during the third unofficial ODI on May 10, an unusual incident resulted in Bangladesh A conceding five penalty runs against New Zealand A, as reported by Wisden.
While New Zealand A was chasing a target of 227 runs and had scored 35 runs without loss in the fifth over, opener Rhys Mariu let a wide delivery from Ebadot Hossain pass by. The fielding setup was unconventional, with wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan positioned at first slip, away from the stumps. Consequently, the ball went past him and struck a helmet left on the ground behind the stumps.
According to the Marylebone Cricket Club's Law 28.3, if a ball strikes a helmet placed on the ground by the fielding team, the ball is considered dead, and the batting side is awarded five penalty runs. The umpires enforced this rule, adding five runs to New Zealand's score.
Mariu contributed 33 runs off 33 balls, forming a solid 77-run opening partnership with Dale Phillips. Bangladesh A made a comeback with Nasum Ahmed, Mosaddek Hossain, and Nayeem Hasan each taking two wickets, leaving New Zealand at 166 for 6. However, Dean Foxcroft (36*) and Zachary Foulkes (28*) led the visitors to victory with ten balls to spare.
Despite this defeat, Bangladesh A maintains a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, having dominated the first two games. In the first match, their pace bowlers dismissed four of New Zealand's top five batsmen for zero runs, and in the second match, centuries from Mahidul Islam Ankon and Nurul Hasan helped them score 344 for 5, winning by 87 runs.
In other news, Bangladesh cricketer Mehidy Hasan Miraz has climbed the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings for all-rounders. Following his impressive performance in the recent Test series against Zimbabwe, Miraz moved up one spot to second overall.
Miraz's outstanding contributions included scoring 116 runs and taking 15 wickets across two Tests, earning him a career-best rating of 327 points, now just 73 points behind the top-ranked Ravindra Jadeja.
His pivotal role in Bangladesh's victory in the second Test against Zimbabwe in Chattogram included a crucial century while batting at No. 7 and a five-wicket haul on the final day of the match.
Miraz's achievements also led to improvements in other categories, as he rose eight places to 55th among Test batters following his second Test century. Additionally, he climbed two spots to 24th among Test bowlers, while teammates Taijul Islam and Nayeem Hasan also made significant gains after their strong performances against Zimbabwe.