More than 300 Kulaura students on study tour to watch Test cricket in Sylhet, delight at Hasan's double strike

They had watched cricket on television screens until now; this time they had the chance to watch their favourite game sitting in the stadium itself. Around 300 students of Bhatera Girls School in Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar came on a study tour on Friday (6 November) and watched the Bangladesh-West Indies match at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Wearing clothes of the same colour, sitting in rows of seats and holding a study tour banner, the scene was visible in the stadium gallery from Friday morning. Students of Kids World School of the same institution were also with them.

The students entered the stadium on Friday morning while the match between Bangladesh and the West Indies was under way. At the time, the partnership of West Indies batsmen Amir Jangoo and Justin Greaves, who were batting, had become a challenge for Bangladesh.

At that moment, Bangladesh pacer Hasan Mahmud took two wickets in two consecutive balls and the gallery erupted in delight. The slogan 'Hasan, wicket' rose from the students' voices.

For many of the students, watching cricket sitting in a stadium was an entirely new experience. Class six student Samira Jahan said she had never watched a match sitting in a stadium before; this was her first time, and she liked the experience very much.

Her classmate Nusrat Akter said that although she had watched matches on television, seeing the players up close in the stadium was a different feeling. Enjoying the match while shouting together with everyone increased the joy further.

School teacher Rezwan Chowdhury came to the stadium with the students. He said the school organises an educational tour every year and tries to give the students a different kind of experience. This time, that thinking led to bringing them to a cricket ground.

Parents also came with the students. One of them, Sharmin Akter, said children need to be introduced to sports alongside their studies. Such an arrangement creates an opportunity for them to gain new experiences alongside joy.

Not everyone had an equal idea of the rules of the game, but that had no effect on the students' enthusiasm. Shouts when a wicket fell and applause for a good shot — altogether, their presence in the stadium gallery created a different kind of atmosphere. The day spent at a cricket ground outside the classroom became a memorable study tour for them.