/ 10 July 2003

Bangladesh toppling Aus wickets

Mashrafe Mortaza and skipper Khaled Mahmud took three wickets apiece on Thursday as Bangladesh restricted the Northern Territory XI to 189 at stumps on the opening day of the cricket tour match here.

Right-arm medium pacer Mortaza snared 3-28, while new captain Mahmud returned 3-43 against a Territory selection captained by Australian international batsman Michael Clarke, who top scored for the hosts with 79 before he was dismissed in the last over.

Bangladesh lost to a Queensland selection in its tour opener but had a two-wicket win over the Australian Cricket Academy last weekend in Brisbane.

Bangladesh, which has never won a test match, faces world No. 1 Australia starting next Friday at Darwin in the first of two tests. Sapa-AP