Anamul Haque Bijoy etched his name into Bangladesh cricket history on Friday, scoring his 25th List A century to surpass Tamim Iqbal and become the highest century-maker in the format among Bangladeshi batsmen.
The 33-year-old opener produced a stunning 141 off 115 balls, striking 11 fours and nine sixes, as Mohammedan Sporting Club posted a mammoth 406 for four against arch-rivals Abahani Limited at BKSP on the title-deciding final day of the Walton Smart Fridge Dhaka Premier League.
The milestone had been anticipated since the start of the season. Anamul, long one of the most prolific century-makers in domestic cricket, needed just one hundred to overtake Tamim, who retired with 24 List A centuries from 320 innings. Anamul reached the landmark in 86 fewer innings, a testament to his remarkable consistency in the format over the years.
Tamim, now BCB ad hoc president, remains second on the all-time Bangladesh List A century list. Mushfiqur Rahim sits third with 16 centuries from 363 innings, while Najmul Hossain Shanto has scored 15 from just 190 innings.
Anamul was not alone in the spotlight on what proved to be a breathtaking day of batting at BKSP. Parvez Hossain Emon blazed his way to 150 off 116 balls at number three, hammering 10 fours and 12 sixes in an innings of extraordinary power hitting. Together, Anamul and Emon put on 248 runs for the second wicket off just 202 balls, just two runs short of the Bangladesh List A record partnership for that wicket, set last season by Brothers Union’s Mahfizul Islam Robin and Mizanur Rahman. Afif Hossain then contributed a ferocious 61 off 33 balls to help Mohammedan reach 406 for four, only the second time a Bangladeshi side has reached 400 in List A cricket.
Anamul’s journey to this record has been anything but straightforward. He made his List A debut in 2009 for Dhaka Division in a National League one-day match, batting at number nine at the age of 17 and scoring 21 runs. He went on to represent Bangladesh in two Under-19 World Cups, captaining the side and finishing as the leading run-scorer at the 2012 edition.
His international career began brightly. He scored a century on his second ODI appearance against West Indies and hit three hundreds in his first 20 matches. But consistency at the highest level proved elusive, and he lost his place in the national side on multiple occasions. His ODI century tally has remained at three, leaving the full extent of his talent largely expressed in domestic cricket.
It is in the domestic arena, however, where Anamul has been virtually unstoppable. His record now stands as the finest in Bangladesh’s List A history, and Friday’s innings, played on the most important day of the DPL season, was a fitting stage for it.
In the global context, Bangladesh’s century-makers remain some distance behind the all-time leaders. Sachin Tendulkar holds the world record with 60 List A centuries from 538 innings, with Virat Kohli close behind on 59 from just 334 innings. England’s Graham Gooch is third with 44 from 601 innings, followed by Graeme Hick on 40 from 630. Kumar Sangakkara rounds out the top five with 39 from 501 innings.
