Batting collapse hands Bangladesh HP first loss

Bangladesh High Performance (HP) team suffered their first defeat in the Top End T20 Series, falling 21 runs short against Adelaide Strikers Academy after winning their opening three fixtures to put themselves in a strong position for a semifinal berth. Despite the setback, the red-and-green representatives remain at the top of the points table.

Electing to bat first at Darwin's TIO Stadium on Monday, Adelaide posted a competitive 164 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs. In reply, a top-and-middle-order batting failure restricted Bangladesh HP to 143 for 9. Ariful Islam top-scored for Bangladesh HP with a 54-ball 66, though his anchor attempt fell behind the required T20 scoring rate.

The chase began poorly as opener Jishan Alam fell off the very first ball. Ariful then joined forces with Habibur Rahman to build a 61-run partnership, keeping the side on track.

Habibur, who was dismissed for single-digit scores in his previous three outings, chipped in with a 18-ball 23. However, his departure triggered a slide as no other batter could build a sustained partnership with Ariful. Shamim Hossain managed 18 off 18 balls, while none of the final five batters reached double figures—including experienced campaigners Sabbir Rahman (6) and skipper Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby (5).

Earlier, Adelaide reached 164 through solid 30-plus contributions from Thomas Kelly, Henry Hunt, and Noah McFadyen. Pacer Abdul Gaffar Saqlain was the pick of the Bangladeshi bowlers with 4 wickets, while Mohammad Rubel claimed 3. Ripon Mondol had a tough outing, conceding 46 runs in his 3 wicketless overs.

Bangladesh HP will play their next match against New Zealand 'A' on Thursday.