Bangladesh left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan became only the sixth bowler from the country to take nine wickets in an innings in first-class cricket, achieving the feat during an NCL match for Mymensingh against Sylhet at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Monday.
Rakibul dismissed every Sylhet batter except centurion Shykat Ali, who provided strong resistance with the tail-enders. Shykat batted for 355 minutes across two days after opening the innings and shared a 148-run stand with number ten batter Ebadot Hossain. Ebadot scored a 110-ball 58, his maiden fifty in first-class cricket.
Shykat produced a career-best 175 off 232 deliveries, hitting 19 fours and eight sixes before being dismissed by pacer Shohidul Islam, caught at short third man. After Shykat’s departure, Rakibul completed his nine-wicket haul by stumping Ebadot, as Sylhet were bowled out for 489, taking an 88-run first-innings lead.
Rakibul finished with figures of 9 for 168. Before him, Sunzamul Islam, Saqlain Sajib, Mosharraf Hossain, and veteran spinner Abdur Razzak had all claimed nine wickets in an innings in domestic first-class cricket. Razzak achieved the feat twice, against Chittagong in 2012 with 9 for 84 and against Dhaka Metro in 2014 with 9 for 91.
