Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 4 Num 205 Tue. December 23, 2003  
   
Sports


Ispahani Mirzapore Tea 5th National Cricket League
Dhaka drub Chittagong


Dhaka completed a Chittagong whitewash, Rajshahi turned the table on Sylhet and Khulna made up for their disappointment in the rain-affected four-dayer with an easy win over Barisal in the abridge version of the Mirzapore Tea Fifth National Cricket League at different venues yesterday.

Khaled Mahmud's Dhaka celebrated a delightful double over Akram Khan's Chittagong with a comfortable seven-wicket victory at the Bangabandhu National Stadium a day after their 226-run success in the four-day fixture.

Dhaka's first one-day victory after their heart-breaking defeat against Barisal in the opening match last week was never in doubt once Chittagong, sent into bat, crashed to 71 in 32.2 overs. It was the port city outfit's lowest score the one-day version of the first-class competition.

Dhaka recovered from an early hiccup to post the required 72-3 in 19.5 overs and collected full eight points from the second round.

Away at Rangpur, Habibul Bashar played a captain's knock of 81 as four-day holders Khulna scored 238 and then bundled out Barisal for 157 with spinner Tamim Bashir claiming five wickets.

The 81-run victory was Khulna's first success after their defeat against Sylhet in the opening round.

Rajshahi tasted their first win in the competition when they beat Sylhet by 52 runs after their shock four-day loss at Jessore.

DHAKA V CHITTAGONG

Chittagong included three under-19 batsmen for a reversal of fortune but that hardly helped to end their batting blues against the home team.

The port city outfit perished so quickly that national selector GM Nowsher Prince missed the chance to see the fall of first six wickets.

Among the under-19 trio opener Nafees Iqbal scored two, Aftab (2) and Nizamuddin made 16. The highest contribution once again came from the bat Faisal, who has been in a rich vein of form since the start the League. He made 20.

Mahmud led the Chittagong demolition taking the first three wickets. Arafat Sunny then combined with senior spin colleague Rafique to share the last seven wickets.

Missed the four-dayer, Sunny made an instant impact finishing with 4-17.

Rafique showed his one-day appetite is no less than the long version by scalping three wickets after his ten-wicket haul in the four-day affair.

Sunny was adjudged man-of-the-match.

KHULNA V BARISAL

Bashar took out all his four-day frustration with a typically aggressive 81 to fashion an 81-run victory over Barisal at the Shamsul Huda Stadium in Jessore.

The prolific right-hander struck three boundaries and two sixes in his 110-ball knock.

National discard Tushar Imran followed up his four-day century with a quick-fire 69 off 80 balls that contained three fours and two sixes.

Chasing a huge Khulna total of 238-4, Barisal were never in the hunt as their innings folded for 157 runs in 40.3 overs with Imran Ahmed making 49 and left-handed Nahidul Haq hitting 43 off 49 balls.

Bashir was the wrecker-in-chief for Khulna with 5-32 in his 9.3 overs.

RAJSHAHI V SYLHET

Sylhet skipper Parvez could not design a double over Rajshahi despite scoring a superb 76 as they went down by 52 at the Cricket Garden in Rangpur.

Parvez, who scored a match-winning half century in the four-day game, started where he had left off and Sylhet were looking on course to topple Rajshahi's 223 with him at the crease. But once Parvez was out, Sylhet tumbled to 171 in 42.2 overs.

Earlier, Anisur Rahman scored 54 in Rajshahi huge total in a reduced 45-over-a-side match. The young right-hander struck two boundaries in his 83-ball knock. He also captured two wickets to win the man-of-the-match award.

Opener Imroz scored a vital 43 off 63 deliveries that featured five hits across the rope.