Mazid returns to complete ton

BCB XI opener Abdul Mazid, who had retired hurt after scoring 92 in the first sesison, returned in the third session after the fall of Tanveer Haider's wicket and promptly completed a fine century off 90 balls. Upon resumption Mazid did not waste any time, taking a single off the first balll he faced from Stuart Broad.

In the next over, the 65th, he cut Finn between gully and the slip cordon for four, and then completed his century with a lofted hit over cover for two in the over after that. A boundary and a two followed off Broad, but in the same over he was bowled trying to heave over the top. His innings of a 95-ball 106, studded with 16 boundaries and a six, remains the brightest spot for BCB XI on the first day. 

Earlier, following the one-way traffic flowing from BCB XI in the morning session, England XI pulled things back to an even keel in the afternoon session of the first day of the two-day warm-up match at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong.

Left-arm spinner Zafar Ansari scalped three wickets as BCB XI took tea with the score on 242 for five.

The session started with Mominul Haque, not even in the team list before the start of the match, walking out to bat instead of Mazid who had clobbered 92 off 86 balls in the morning session. It was learnt that the Dhaka Division batsman was suffering from cramps during the break. Mominul's visit from the Radisson Blu accross the road did not last long as he was bowled by Moeen Ali's off-spin for one. 

Mosaddek Hossain then shared in a 77-run third-wicket stand with Nazmul Hossain. Mosaddek took full advantage of good batting conditions during his 49-ball 47, striking three sixes and two boundaries before becoming Ansari's first victim by offering a catch back to the bowler in the 47th over.  

Nazmul was batting in assured fashion, patiently waiting for the bad balls which he put away with ease. His only problem came in the first session when he edged Steven Finn to Jonny Bairstow and the umpires ruled that the ball did not carry. Thereafter the youngster mixed caution with aggression to reach 72 off 129 deliveries. But his 130th proved to be his undoing as he mistimed a lofted attempt off an Ansari short ball, resulting in a simple catch to Ben Duckett at point. 

Shadman Islam became Ansari's third wicket when he edged to Gary Ballance at short leg a few balls before the break for tea was called, with Nurul Hasan batting on 16 in the company of Tanveer Haider.

Before lunch, Mazid was the unexpected thorn in the side of England XI as he rocketed to an unbeaten 83-ball 92 in the morning session .

BCB XI, who chose to bat, reached 127 for the loss of Soumya Sarkar at lunch. But other than that bit of success for the tourists, the morning session belonged to the hard-hitting Mazid. 

The Victoria SC and Dhaka Division opener could well have scored a century in a session but for a quite appalling outfied that saw balls stopping within bounds even when it bounced a few metres from the ropes. 

Mazid was a man on a mission from the start on a belter of a wicket on a hot, clear Chittagong day. He had raced to 42 from 29 when Soumya, the man in the picture for the Test match starting on Thursday, was out for a 17-ball four when he spooned a drive to Gareth Batty at cover off Choris Woakes in the eighth over. 

Mazid, who hit 14 boundaries and a six in his unbeaten knock, was brutal whenever the England bowler's erred. Anything too full, be it from the spinners or pacers, was deposited over mid off for boundaries. He rocked back for anything short and employed a whip-like pull.

After Soumya's departure, young Nazmul Hossain kept him company to lunch, scoring a 53-ball 26 in the 76-run partnership.