Bangladesh A endured a disappointing outing in the Top End T20 Series on Sunday as they slumped to a five-wicket defeat against Perth Scorchers Academy at Darwin. Sent in to bat first, Bangladesh A struggled to put up a competitive total and were bowled out for just 123 runs in their allotted 20 overs. The innings never really gained momentum, with regular wickets pegging the visitors back. Left-hander Afif Hossain fought hard to hold the innings together, top-scoring with an unbeaten 42 from 49 balls. He found little support from the other end until lower-order batter Rakibul Hasan provided a brief flourish, smashing 16 off just five deliveries at the death. Extras contributed 11 runs, but overall the score was far below par against a disciplined Perth bowling attack. In reply, the Scorchers Academy paced their chase smartly and reached 126 for 5 in 18 overs to seal the game with two overs to spare. Joel Curtis anchored the innings with a well-composed unbeaten 44 off 34 balls, striking boundaries at crucial moments to keep the scoreboard ticking. He was ably supported by Matthew Spoors, who added a quickfire 24 not out from 16 deliveries to finish the chase in style. For Bangladesh A, spinners Rakibul Hasan and Nayeem Hasan picked up two wickets each while pacer Hasan Mahmud claimed one, but the total proved insufficient. The defeat highlighted Bangladesh A’s batting frailties, leaving them in need of stronger partnerships in upcoming matches. make four title
