Big guns win
Few of the national stars returned to their club duties in the fourth round of matches of the Premier League yesterday, but it was their less-illustrious club-mates who dictated terms as defending champions Abahani and title-contenders Mohammedan kept their hundred percent record intact with wins over BKSP and Cricket Coaching School (CCS) respectively.
Abahani had an easy sail over BKSP as they won by 82 runs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium while Mohammedan faced some tough resistance against an impressive CCS before eventually winning by three wickets at Fatullah. Former Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar failed to lift his side Surjo Torun as they lost to Old DOHS by 18 runs at BKSP.
After a few failures in the last matches, Imrul Kayes got amongst runs with a big hundred. He played the anchor role and batted till the 47th over to score 115 to see his side post a daunting total of 268 runs before being all out exactly in 50 overs. He was supported well by middle order-batsman Nasir Hossain who hit a 73-ball 81 as the two combined to put on 145 runs for the fifth wicket.
Kayes' innings of 115 was a carefully orchestrated one that included 10 fours and three sixes. Nasir's innings was a more aggressive one with nine fours and two sixes. Zakaria Masud was the pick of the bowlers for BKSP as he grabbed four wickets for 48 runs.
Replying to a huge total, BKSP lost both their openers within the first four overs. A fifty run partnership for the third wicket between Asif Ahmed (46) and Afzal Ahmed (56) seemed to have revived their chances momentarily, but as soon as they fell, the BKSP innings got tapered little by little and eventually folded for 186 in 47.5 overs.
At Fatullah, Mohammedan welcomed Mohammad Ashraful and Mahmudullah Riyad back from their national duties as they eked out a 3-wicket victory over an impressive Cricket Coaching School. Batting first CCS put on a challenging total of 225 in 50 overs, thanks to an unbeaten 84 from all-rounder Nazmul Hossain and a fifty from their in-form skipper Uttam Sarker. Shahzada took four wickets for Mohammedan to make sure the innings didn't get any bigger. Mohammedan's openers Nafees Iqbal and Mohammad Ashraful gave them a good start as they put on 67 runs in 13.4 overs before an unnecessary run-out got Ashraful back to the pavilion for 25 runs. Nafees followed him a few overs later after scoring 39 runs. All-rounders Marshal Ayub (61) and Faysal Hossain (42) then got in the act as they played two crucial knocks to guide Mohammedan towards victory. A quick four-wicket burst from Atiqur Rahman brought CCS back in the hunt, but it was too little too late as Mohammedan got over the line with six balls to spare.
Surjo Torun skipper Habibul Bashar, on the back of two consecutive fifties, couldn't repeat his performance as his side folded for a paltry 165 in 47.4 overs chasing 183 set by Old DOHS at BKSP. Anisur Rahman (52) played a lone hand in the middle-order, but his efforts went in vain as his more illustrious partners failed to provide him good support.
SCORES IN BRIEF
ABAHANI V BKSP
VENUE: SBNCS
ABAHANI: 268 all out in 50 overs (Kayes 115, Rashmi 24, Nasir 81, extras 11; Mubarat 3-41, Zakaria 4-48).
BKSP: 186 all out in 47.5 overs (Asif 46, Afzal 56, Abid 20, Zakaria 26, extras 14; Rafique 4-28, Shubashish 2-32).
Result: Abahani won by 82 runs.
OLD DOHS V SURJO TORUN
VENUE: BKSP
OLD DOHS:
183 for 7 in 50 overs (Rumman 21, Nasiruddin 43, Saimon 23, Taibur 39 not out, extras 23; Sanjamul 2-34, Zakarier 2-34).
SURJO TORUN: 165 all out in 47.4 overs (Anisur 52, extras 16; Rubel 2-43, Moshiur 3-14, Nazmul 3-33, Taibur 2-32).
Result: Old DOHS won by 18 runs.
MOHAMMEDAN V CCS
VENUE: FATULLAH
CCS:
225 all out in 50 overs (Uttam 50, Nazmul 84, Sirajul 30, extras 14; Shahajada 4-51, Nabil 2-25).
MOHAMMEDAN: 226 for 7 in 49 overs (Nafis 39, Marshal 61, Faisal 42, extras 18; Atiqur 4-37).
Result: Mohammedan won by three wickets.
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