In a thoroughly entertaining match Notts Outlaws chased down 293 to defeat a strong Bangladesh A side by 4 wickets in a fifty over contest at Trent Bridge.
Hero for the home side was 19-year old Adam Tillcock, making his first team bow. The Nottingham-born right-hander, who travelled to Barbados with Mick Newell’s party in March, ended on 97 not out, after helping Paul Franks put on 170 for the sixth wicket.
Batting first, after winning the toss, the visitors had their own hero to congratulate as Ziaur Rahman made an undefeated 104 out of a total of 292 for seven.
The 26-year old, who made his Test debut in Zimbabwe in April, turned his side’s fortunes around after they had been 148 for seven. He hit seven maximums in his 69-ball innings, exploding into life after meandering to just 29 from his first 43 deliveries.
The Nottinghamshire side included four players making their one-day debuts for the county, Tillcock, Tom Rowe, George Bacon and wicketkeeper Matt Cross, who has previously appeared at this level for Scotland.
Amongst the Bangladesh side were Naeem Islam, Rubel Hossain and Raqibal Hasan, who had all appeared at Trent Bridge in the 2009 ICC World t20 competition.
It was Bacon who enjoyed the finest of starts, taking a wicket with his first ball for the county as Jaharul Islam (3), who has appeared in seven Test matches, edged to Brett Hutton at first slip.
Bacon struck again in the third over as Raqibal Hasan (1) spooned a catch to Sam Kelsall at midwicket.
Shamsur Rahman went on the offensive to pull Luke Fletcher for six to the short Fox Road side in the ninth over and he and the left-handed Mominul Haque proceeded to extend their partnership beyond fifty in just 9.3 overs.
Mominul Haque lofted Sam Wood over the ropes in the 16th over and Shamsur reached his own half century (57 balls, 6x4, 2x6) shortly afterwards.
Hutton made the breakthrough in the next over, after the pair had added 84 for the third wicket, Graeme White catching Shamsur (84) in the covers.
Paul Franks, skippering the Outlaws, brought himself into the attack in the 23rd over and fired one through the defences of Mominul Haque (47) with his second delivery to leave the tourists on 110-4.
Their situation worsened as Cross dived to his right to cling on to a thickish edge from Bangladesh’s captain, Naeem Islam (13), again off the bowling of Franks.
Franks’ spell wrecked the middle order as he then claimed his third wicket in five overs, with Marshall Ayub (22), also unable to protect his stumps.
Farhad Reza (0) only lasted four balls before dragging his back foot out and was stumped by Cross off Matt Wood’s off spin.
At 160-7, Bacon’s return at the start of the 36th over, coincided with the batting powerplay being taken.
Elias Sunny and Ziaur Rahman then combined to put Notts on the back foot through the final overs as they moved the total beyond the 200 mark, bringing up another 50 partnership in the process, from 65 deliveries.
Ziaur hit 4 boundaries and twice cleared the ropes over midwicket in reaching a splendid run-a-ball 50 – and celebrated by smashing Hutton over his head into the Radcliffe Road Stand for another maximum.
Two more sixes, off Bacon – one into the Pavilion and one that crashed into the back rows of the L & V - took him to a career best score and extended the stand into three figures.
In a turbo-charged spree Ziaur scored 62 off 18 deliveries to motor into the 90s and brought up his hundred from 67 balls with the partnership remaining unbroken on 144 from 18.2 overs. Sunny finished on 37 not out.
The reply soon hit the buffers with Kelsall (9) run out by a direct hit from Naeem at midwicket and Steven Mullaney (9) nicked behind, attempting a drive off Farhad Reza.
Tom Rowe (10) executed a couple of powerful drives on his maiden first team appearance but then perished to another catch at the wicket, this time off Al-Amin Hossain.
Matt Cross (47) and Sam Wood added 60 in 13 overs before the wicketkeeper pulled a long hop from Naeem straight into the hands of square leg.
Adam Tillcock got off the mark in spectacular fashion, hoisting his fourth delivery, from Sunny, into the seats at deep midwicket.
A mix up with the calling cost Wood (32) his wicket and cut short a promising innings as he was left stranded when the return came in from Farhad.
The gloomy evening conditions necessitated the floodlights being switched on but it didn’t deter the batting side as Paul Franks joined Tillcock in a stand that threatened to give Notts hope.
Tillcock reached his fifty (44 balls 6x4, 2x6) in the same manner he’d begun his innings, with a six, leaving 93 required from the final ten overs.
The equation had been reduced to 72 from 7, with the stand beyond three figures, when Franks heaved Sunny over the ropes for six.
Franks fifty (46 balls, 6x4, 1x6) reduced the rate further and another Tillcock maximum took the rate below ten inside the final five overs.
22 were needed from the final three overs and the pair were determined to see the job but in the penultimate over Franks perished for 75, caught in the deep off Naeem, after a stand of 170 in 19.3 overs.
With Tillcock on 97 (70 balls, 11x4, 3x6) new man Brett Hutton caressed the winning four with seven balls remaining.