Towhid Hridoy breaks 77-year-old record

Towhid Hridoy has created new history by breaking the 77-year-old record for the highest individual score by any visiting batter on South African soil. He played a magnificent unbeaten innings of 350 runs for Bangladesh ‘A’ against South Africa ‘A’ in Potchefstroom.

In the 1948-49 season, England batter Denis Compton had scored 300 runs for Marylebone Cricket Club against the North-Eastern team in Benoni, South Africa. That innings, played in just 181 minutes, stood as the highest individual score by a visiting batter on South African soil for 77 years. Hridoy has now taken that record for himself.

Besides Compton’s record, this Bangladeshi batter has set several other milestones with his 350-run innings. Hridoy is now the first Bangladeshi batter to score a triple century in first-class cricket outside the country.

Earlier in 2003, Shahriar Hossain Bidyut had scored 218 runs against the Defence Housing Committee team in Karachi, Pakistan. Until now, that was the highest individual innings by any Bangladesh ‘A’ batter in first-class cricket. Hridoy has surpassed that record as well this time.

Hridoy has become the third Bangladeshi batter to score a triple century in first-class cricket. Earlier this feat was achieved by Rakibul Hasan and Tamim Iqbal. Rakibul had scored 313 runs for Barishal Division against Sylhet Division in the 2006-07 season. And Tamim had played an unbeaten innings of 334 runs for East Zone in the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) in the 2019-20 season.

Tamim’s 334 runs was the highest individual innings by any Bangladeshi batter in first-class cricket until now. Hridoy broke that record as well after tea on the fourth day of the match in Potchefstroom. He declared the team’s innings after reaching 350. In the 481-ball innings, Hridoy hit 27 fours and 10 sixes.

As a result, the record for the highest individual score by any Bangladeshi batter in first-class cricket is now held by Hridoy.

Riding on Hridoy’s record-breaking innings, Bangladesh ‘A’ team has also set a new record. Scoring 676 for 8 wickets, they have set the record for the highest team total by any Bangladesh side in first-class cricket. Earlier, the 638 runs scored by the Bangladesh national team against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2013 was the highest.

By setting multiple records in a single innings, Towhid Hridoy has added a new chapter to his career as well as to the record books of Bangladesh’s first-class cricket.