Dhaka scrape through

Dhaka's Mehrab Hossain punches the air after his side's nervy three-wicket win against Chittagong on the final day of their four-day National Cricket League match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday. Photo: STAR

Dhaka snatch-ed an outright win over Chittagong on the final day of the four-day match of the 9th National Cricket League despite reckless batting from their top order yesterday.
Chasing a meagre target of 103 in maximum 40 overs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka tottered at 46-5 in the fourth-round clash but left-handed Mehrab Hossain kept cool with an unbeaten 22 to shape the three-wicket victory.
Dhaka reached the target in 30.5 overs to clinch their second outright victory, which put an end to their poor home run after the last two games ended in dramatic draws.
Chittagong staged a brilliant fightback, thanks to left-arm pacer Kamrul Islam who demolished the prolific Dhaka top order by taking the first four wickets. He also sent back the home side's first-innings centurion Javed Omar with a brilliant direct throw from deep fine-leg.
The young seamer bowled in the right area to create a chance for his side but it was actually the Dhaka batsmen whose pathetic batting on a good track complicated things.
Dhaka and national captain Mohammad Ashraful, as usually, was the main culprit when he should have taken the responsibility of guiding the side after being reduced to 31-2.
The ace batsman played the first ball defensively and then managed a lucky boundary through point but it was hard to explain what he committed in the next ball against Kamrul, gliding it to Masumuddowla at gully for an easy catch.
"We should have comfortably won the match but our top-order, including me, played irresponsible shots. Actually Dhaka have so far failed to play as per their reputation," admitted Ashraful after the match.
Anwar Hossain (13), who was the first victim of a brilliant diving catch by wicketkeeper Dhiman Ghosh, Al-Shahriar (0) and Shamsur Rahman (0) were all caught behind while playing from the crease.
With the visitors smelling an unlikely victory, Mahmudullah Riyad revived the hosts' hopes with a 38-balls 27. He also relieved the pressure by hitting a six over square leg and a boundary in the same over off left-arm spinner Faisal Hossain.
Another left-arm spinner Saju Datta, however, injected some excitement by claiming the wickets of Riyad and Mohammad Rafique (0) in one over.
Chittagong could blame poor umpiring as Akhterudin Shaheen turned down two confident lbw appeals against Mehrab and Mohammad Sharif, who remained not out on eight.
It also seemed that Chittagong skipper Ehsanul Haque was not happy with the lbw decision against him by the same umpire.
Ehsanul top-scored 56 off 105 balls as the visitors were all out for 278 in their second innings to bring an early tea break after resuming the day on 165-4.
Tareq Aziz was the other notable scorer with an unbeaten 31 off 91 deliveries featuring three boundaries.
SCORES IN BRIEF
CHITTAGONG: 200 and 278 all out in 101.5 overs (Tamim 70, Masumuddowla 19, Nazimuddin 2, Aftab 32, Ehsanul 56, Faisal 25, Dhiman 20, Tareq 31*, Kamrul 5, Saju 0, Rubel 2; Mahbubul 1-37, Sharif 1-42, Mosharraf 2-65, Rafique 1-72, Ashraful 2-28, Mehrab 2-23).
DHAKA: 376 and 103-7 in 30.5 overs (Javed 16, Anwar 13, Al-Shahriar 0, Ashraful 4, Mehrab 22*, Shamsur 0, Riyad 27, Rafique 0, Sharif 8*; Kamrul 4-19, Saju 2-20).
Result: Dhaka won by three wickets.