Cricket Australia XI 355 (Wyllie 130, Doran 76, Patterson 53, Mahmud 4-42) beat Bangladesh 263 (Mehidy 109*, Rocchiccioli 6-83) and 54 (Thompson 8-25) by an innings and 38 runs
Bangladesh’s prospects for the first Test against Australia next week looked bleak after they were rolled for just 54 to lose by an innings and 38 runs against a CA XI in Darwin with left-arm quick Campbell Thompson claiming 8 for 25.
The visitors began the third morning already two down in their second innings and couldn’t even make it to lunch as they crashed in 17 more overs. Opener Tanzid Hasan was the only batter to reach double figures with 22.
Thompson, a 22-year-old from South Australia with one first-class match to his name, claimed the first five wickets to fall having started the damage the previous evening, before offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli briefly broke his hold on proceedings to add to the six he took in the first innings.
Thompson was soon back at it, however, when he trapped captain Najmul Hossain Shanto lbw for a duck and then closed out the game with the final two wickets in two balls.
“Sometimes you get lucky,” Thompson said modestly. “It fell my way today, which was nice. It’s always a good experience and opportunity to come and play up against a Test side a few days out from a series. Then to play alongside experienced Aussie guys as well, like Kurtis Patterson and Corey Rocchiccioli and stuff like that. So, just involving myself around these guys has been awesome.”
Thompson played for the Prime Minister’s XI against England last season and then made both his one-day and Sheffield Shield debuts for South Australia, impressing with a sharp spell against Usman Khawaja in the latter, before picking up a hamstring injury which ended his season.
“I think the opportunity to step out and play against the top liners in Australia, bowling to the best batters, has definitely given me some good experience heading into this year,” he said. “Hopefully there’s more of that but just trying to take it one step at a time. Trying to just bowl as well as I can in any level while I’m playing and hopefully putting my best foot forward.”
It will have been a chastening experience for Bangladesh who now have four days to try and prepare themselves to face the likes of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in their first Test in Australia for 23 years.
They had made 263 in the first innings through a century from Mehidy Hasan Miraz at No. 7 after the top order also struggled on the opening day. With the ball, Hasan Mahmud claimed 4 for 42.