Australian pacer Campbell Thompson dominated the Bangladesh batting order on Saturday morning in Darwin. The 22-year-old took eight wickets for just 25 runs to hand Cricket Australia XI a massive victory.
Bangladesh fell for a tiny score of 54 runs in their second innings, losing the three-day warm-up match by an innings and 38 runs. This match took place at the Marrara Oval just days before the official Test series began.
Campbell Thompson’s Historic Eight-Wicket Haul
South Australian fast bowler Campbell Thompson used the new ball and aimed directly at the stumps. He took six wickets in the Saturday morning session alone.
Thompson began his work late on Friday by taking two wickets before the close of play. When play resumed on Saturday, he remained consistent. He claimed the first five wickets of the morning to put the Tigers under constant pressure. At the end of his spell, he took 8 wickets, conceding only 25 runs from his 11 overs. His innings also included two maiden overs.
The young bowler is relatively unknown in international cricket. He had played only one first-class match before this game. However, he previously played for the Prime Minister’s XI against the England Lions last year. Thompson also made his Sheffield Shield and One-Day Cup debuts for South Australia last summer.
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A Sudden Collapse for the Tigers
Bangladesh started the third day in a difficult position at 15 runs for two. They needed a strong response after falling 92 runs behind in the first innings. Instead, their batting lineup completely fell apart in just 17 overs on the final morning.
Tanzid Hasan scored 22 runs from 41 balls and was the only Bangladesh batter to reach double figures. Meanwhile, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored only six runs each.
Thompson wrapped up the match in dramatic style. He bowled out Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto for a duck after trapping him leg-before-wicket (lbw). Finally, he took the last two wickets with two balls in a row to end the game before lunch.
Positive News Amid the Defeat
Despite the heavy loss, Bangladesh received some good news regarding Taijul Islam. The left-arm spinner injured his finger while batting on the first day of the match. Many fans feared he might miss the upcoming Test series.
However, national team physio Bayjedul Islam gave a positive update on Saturday. He noted that the swelling and pain have gone down a lot. The medical team expects Taijul to be fully fit and available for the first Test. This is important because Bangladesh will need their best bowlers to face the strong Australian lineup.
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Preparing for the Darwin Test Series
Bangladesh is returning to Australia for a Test tour for the first time in 23 years. The visitors now have only four days to fix their batting problems.
The official two-match Test series starts on August 13 at the Marrara Stadium in Darwin. This is a different venue from where the warm-up was played. After Darwin, the teams will travel to Mackay for the second Test starting on August 22.
Bangladesh coach Phil Simmons admitted the result was disappointing. He mentioned that they have a lot of work to do before they face the Australian bowling attack featuring Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood.
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