5-star Riyad furthers spin credentials

Central Zone captain Mahmudullah Riyad's fabulous bowling spell at the BKSP yesterday led his side to a 37-run win over South Zone. Riyad took five wickets in the fourth innings and finished with match figures of 12 for 190. PHOTO: STAR

Mahmudullah Riyad justified the national selectors' faith in his off-spinners -- which was pivotal in him securing a Test spot ahead of Naeem Islam -- with a 12-wicket match haul that guided Central Zone to a 37-run victory against South Zone on the fourth and final day of the second round of the Bangladesh Cricket League at BKSP yesterday.
Riyad took three more wickets today to return with a five-wicket haul, his second in the match after seven scalps in the first innings, as South Zone were bundled out for 272 in chase of a challenging target of 310 runs after the day's play started almost three hours late due to dense fog.
South Zone started the day needing 151 runs on the final day with seven wickets in hand but they failed to overcome the challenge.
Riyad took five wickets for 96 runs while left-arm spinner Elias Sunny claimed three for 81.
The two rounds of the franchisee-based competition were arranged with an aim to providing the national players some valuable longer-version match practice ahead of their demanding home campaign against Sri Lanka, who will arrive in Dhaka on January 24 to play two Tests, three ODIs and two T20Is. That purpose has certainly been served with almost all the batsmen notching substantial innings while the bowlers also did some fruitful work, although there were some reservations about the pitches at the BKSP.

SCORES IN BRIEF
CENTRAL ZONE: 165 and 374.
SOUTH ZONE: 230 and 272 all out in 81.4 overs (Imrul 74, Anamul 67, Zia 45; Riyad 5-96, Sunny 3-81)
Result: Central Zone won by 37 runs.
Man-of-the-match: Mahmudullah Riyad.