Nayeem corners Sri Lanka HP

After a decent start in the opening day of the first four-dayer, the Bangladesh High Performance (HP) team continued their good showing as they ended the second day being in a strong position against their Sri Lankan counterpart at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna today.

While it was Nazmul Hossain Shanto who hogged the spotlight with a magnificent unbeaten century on day one, it was right-arm spinner Nayeem Hasan who shone today. Nayeem returned figures of four for 31, scalping all the four wickets of Sri Lanka HP that fell on the day after scoring a vital 72-ball 36 with the bat earlier.

Bangladesh HP posted 360-run total after starting the day on 233 for four in 88 overs. Nayeem strung an important 58-run seventh-wicket stand with Zakir Hasan (49 off 128) after Bangladesh HP lost centurion Nazmul for 133 off 269 balls and Mahidul Islam for four off 12 early on the day. Although Nayeem was dismissed in the 121st over, Bangladesh HP posted a commendable 360-run total after 135.4 overs.

Nayeem then carried on his impressive display with the ball too. He started with the wicket of opener Padhun Nissanka in the sixth over. Nayeem had Sri Lanka reeling on 59 for four in 17.4 overs but the visitors managed to make a comeback through an unbeaten 42-run fifth-wicket stand between Promod Maduwantha and Ashen Bandara as Sri Lanka HP gathered 101 for four in 38 overs at close.