Towhid Hridoy set the record for the highest first-class score by a Bangladeshi batter after he struck an unbeaten 350 for Bangladesh A against South Africa A. He reached the milestone on the fourth day of the second unofficial Test in Potchefstroom, which is the same ground where Bangladesh won the Under-19 World Cup in 2020.
Hridoy Surpasses Tamim Iqbal’s Record
Hridoy broke Tamim Iqbal’s mark of 334*, which Tamim scored in a Bangladesh Cricket League match in Dhaka back in 2020, during the post-tea session on day four. He became only the third Bangladesh batter to cross the triple-century mark in first-class cricket, joining Tamim and Raqibul Hasan, who made 313* in a National Cricket League game in 2007.
Before this innings, only Shahriar Hossain had scored a double century for Bangladesh A, doing so in 2003. Hridoy faced 481 balls and hit 27 fours along with ten sixes, and his effort marks the first time a Bangladesh batter has scored a triple century outside the country. He also became the second overseas player to reach that mark on South African soil, after Dennis Compton scored 300 against North Eastern Transvaal in 1948.
Hridoy’s 350* now ranks as the second-highest individual score in South African first-class history, behind only Stephen Cook’s 390. He passed Daryll Cullinan’s 337*, a record that had stood since 1993.
Bangladesh A Build Their Highest Total
Hridoy did not bat alone in building the innings. He added 151 runs for the fifth wicket with Jaker Ali, who scored 94, then put on another 185 runs for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Saifuddin, who made 87.
Rejaur Rahman Raja came in at No. 10 and stayed unbeaten on 31 off 110 balls, giving Hridoy support at the tail end of the innings. Bangladesh A eventually declared at 676 for 8, their highest total in the format. South Africa A responded with 12 overs of batting and closed on 18 for 0, as both sides agreed to a draw.
The result meant Bangladesh A lost the two-match unofficial Test series 1-0, after losing the series opener by an innings and 413 runs.
Tamim Iqbal Reacts After Record Falls
Tamim Iqbal, who now serves as BCB president, responded to the record on Facebook shortly after Hridoy passed his mark. He wrote that records exist to be broken and said he felt happy that his own record had fallen. Tamim added that scoring 350 in any format carries weight, and that doing so in South Africa makes the achievement more significant. He called the innings a personal milestone for Hridoy as well as a sign of progress for Bangladesh cricket as a whole.
Hridoy also spoke about the significance of the ground where he reached his double century on day three. He noted that he made his first-class debut in his hometown of Bogura, and that scoring a double century on the same field where Bangladesh won the 2020 Under-19 World Cup carried personal meaning for him. He thanked those who supported him in reaching the landmark.
With this innings, Hridoy has placed his name alongside the biggest scores in Bangladesh cricket history and among the highest recorded on South African soil in the first-class format.
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