Emon’s career-best effort in vain

Parvez Hossain Emon marked his return to the One Day International side with a career-best 70, but his fighting knock could not prevent Bangladesh from collapsing for 160 against Afghanistan in Sharjah on Wednesday.

Leg-spinner Rashid Khan ripped through the lower order with four wickets for 31 runs on a slow surface, leaving Bangladesh with a daunting task in their bid to win the match and beat Afghanistan by at least 41 runs.

The green and red side, who won the toss and elected to bat, suffered an early collapse, losing four wickets for 38 runs in the first 10 overs as pacers Yamin Ahmadzai and Azmatullah Omarzai struck regularly.

Yamin dismissed Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Soumya Sarkar off successive deliveries. Tanzid edged a short ball behind for one off six deliveries before Soumya was bowled while attempting a square cut, departing for a golden duck.

Soumya had scored 69 in Bangladesh’s final ODI against Zimbabwe but managed just nine and zero in the previous two innings of the tri-series.

Azmatullah then removed Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy in the seventh over.

Shanto edged a fifth-stump delivery to the wicketkeeper for 15 off 23 balls, while Hridoy returned a catch off the next delivery without scoring.

Emon and opener Saif Hassan then launched a recovery, adding 93 runs off 147 balls for the fifth wicket. Saif made 41 off 82 balls before offering a catch at midwicket off Mohammad Nabi.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz lasted only seven deliveries before falling for two, caught at deep backward square leg while attempting to pull a short ball from Bilal Sami.

Returning to the ODI side after 15 months in place of the injured Litton Das, Emon showed his potential by reaching his second half-century in just his fourth ODI.

His 96-ball innings, featuring five fours and two sixes, surpassed his previous best of 67, scored at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium 15 months ago.

However, Rashid ended the lefty’s resistance with a leg-before decision. A review failed to overturn the umpire’s call.

The leg-spinner then dismantled the tail, bowling Shoriful Islam in his seventh over before dismissing Emon in the eighth.

He followed up by having debutant Aliss Al Islam caught at slip off the first ball of his ninth over, then bowled Mustafizur Rahman with the next delivery to wrap up Tigers’ innings.