SYLHET, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh hopes that Nahid Rana can unsettle Zimbabwe batters with his raw pace in the two-match series opening test beginning Sunday.
The 22-year-old Nahid has established himself as the lethal pacer Bangladesh has long craved by regularly bowling 140 kph (90 mph).
“When he bowls and Zimbabwe’s batters face him, their body language will show just how different Nahid really is,” Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said ahead of the first test. “They will get how fast he is and how extraordinary he is.”
Nahid played a huge role in Bangladesh’s historical series sweep against Pakistan and a victory over West Indies on Caribbean soil for the first time since 2009 last year.
Shanto said they consistently encourage Nahid, who has taken 20 wickets in six tests, to bowl as fast as he can.
“I’ve known him since his academy days. The message to him has always been simple: bowl over 140 kilometers per hour,” he added. “If he plays tomorrow, I hope he’ll hit that mark.”
Bangladesh is clear favorite, having won eight and lost seven in 18 meeting between the two sides.
“What I think is that we play to win every match. None of us have any desire to play selfish cricket here,” Shanto said.
“We will try something new and it will start from tomorrow. The kind of mentality and preparation that is required for that, the cricketers are taking it.”
Zimbabwe’s experienced batter Sean Williams, however, played down concerns over Nahid’s pace.
“Many bowlers bowl fast these days. It’s not like he’s the only one in the world," Williams said. "We’ve got bowling machines that deliver faster than most bowlers.”
But captain Craig Ervin said they'll prepare to face Nahid.
“Footage always goes around, so we have had a look at (Nahid Rana). You don’t, however, know until you face him in the middle. We have to prepare our mindset for him."
Zimbabwe has not won a test anywhere since March 2021. It lost its last test, a one-off against Ireland in February, by 63 runs in Bulawayo.
In its last five visits in Bangladesh, it won just two in 10, with the last victory coming in 2018 in Sylhet, the venue of the first test.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
FILE - Bangladesh's Nahid Rana smiles during the fourth day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed, File)
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered to extend his hitting streak to 22 games and had three RBIs, Seth Lugo pitched solid six innings and the Kansas City Royals earned a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays with an 8-2 victory on Thursday.
Vinnie Pasquantino had a single, a double and two RBIs for the Royals, who have won nine of their past 10.
The crowd of 8,794 was the first non-sellout in 22 games this season for the Rays at Steinbrenner Field.
Mikael Garcia hit a line-drive double to center field for the Royals, stole third base and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Michael Massey to tie it 1-1 in the fourth.
Lugo (3-3) gave up two runs and five hits with five strikeouts. Daniel Lynch IV, Angel Zerpa and Chris Stratton each threw a scoreless inning of relief for the Royals.
Shane Baz (3-1) gave up seven runs and nine hits with three walks over 5 2/3 innings and had his ERA increase from 2.45 to 3.86.
Yandy Díaz hit a solo homer in the first for the Rays. Jonathan Aranda added an RBI single in the sixth.
Salvador Perez (hip soreness) left the game in the seventh inning. The 34-year-old catcher was in the lineup at designated hitter, replaced behind the plate by Freddie Fermin. Perez hit an RBI double in the fifth and Fermin had a double, a single and scored twice.
Witt hit a two-out, two-run homer down the line in right field to spark a three-run fifth that gave the Royals a 4-1 lead.
Witt has a hit in 22 consecutive games, tied with Brian McRae (in 1991) for the sixth-longest hitting streak in Royals history.
Right-hander Michael Wacha (1-3, 3.38 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound on Friday in the first of a three-game series in Baltimore. RHP Dean Kremer (1-3, 7.04 ERA) is expected to pitch for the Orioles.
Rays RHP Ryan Pepiot (2-3, 4.24 ERA) is set to face left-hander Max Fried (5-0, 1.19 ERA) on Friday to start a three-game series against the Yankees in New York.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Kansas City Royals first base Vinnie Pasquantino gets Tampa Bay Rays' Chandler Simpson (14) out on a close play during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Rays' Yandy Díaz jokes with third base coach Brady Williams (4) after Diaz hit a solo home run off Kansas City Royals pitcher Seth Lugo during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Rays third base Junior Caminero catches a pop fly by Kansas City Royals' Michael Massey during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Rays' Shane Baz pitches to the Kansas City Royals during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Kansas City Royals' Seth Lugo pitches to the Tampa Bay Rays during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia steals third base under Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero (13) during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Kansas City Royals pitcher Seth Lugo (67) delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. watches his two-run home run off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane Baz during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)