Rajshahi stretch lead

Barisal batsman Imran Ahmed (C) is the toast of his teammates after his unbeaten 99 guided them to their first one-day victory, over Khulna, in the National Cricket League one-day tournament at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra yesterday.Photo: STAR

Rajshahi served Dhaka a double dose of defeat with a 21-run victory in the 9th National Cricket League one-day match at the Rajshahi Divisional Stadium yesterday.
After their innings and three-run win in the four-day match, Rajshahi rode on Nayeem Islam's unbeaten half-century to post 224 for eight in their stipulated 50 overs. Dhaka's much-vaunted batting again disappointed, being bowled out for 203 in the 48th over with only captain Mohammad Ashraful scoring 55.
Barisal won their first limited-overs match in their fifth attempt when they upset Khulna by four wickets while at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium, the hosts crashed to a 25-run loss to Sylhet.
RAJSHAHI-DHAKA
Dashing Rajshahi opener Zunaed Siddiqui stroked his way to a 56-ball 59 with the help of nine boundaries as wickets fell around him.
But the left-hander fell trying to hit out at Dhaka's left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain and that led to a mini-collapse as the hosts slipped to 108-6.
It took a concerted effort from Nayeem to guide the tail and put Rajshahi to safety. The right-handed batsman struck seven fours in his 107-ball knock of 73.
Mosharraf was Dhaka's best bowler with figures of three for 18 in 10 overs. Paceman Mohammad Sharif also picked three wickets.
BARISAL-KHULNA
Four consecutive losses did not deter Barisal to have a go at a stiff target of 241 set by the inserted Khulna at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra.
One-down Imran Ahmed anchored the innings from the top but missed out a deserved first century of the season. He ended with an unbeaten 99 off 115 balls, laced with 10 boundaries.
He shared a 92-run second wicket stand with Hannan Sarkar, who smashed 70 off 94 balls but Imran's 87-run fifth wicket partnership with Abul Bashar gave Barisal the tempo.
Needing four off the last over, Imran slammed a delivery by seamer Ziaur Rahman to the fence as Barisal got off the mark in the one-day fray.
Earlier, a half-century from this competition's top-scorer Imrul Kayes gave Khulna a good start but their entire middle-order failed to capitalise on their start as they perished to gangling left-arm spinner Tariqul Islam, who took four wickets.
Kayes hit five fours and a six in his 71-ball innings.
CHITTAGONG-SYLHET
A searching spell from Tariq Aziz gave Chittagong a perfect start after Sylhet elected to bat first.
But as is their perennial problem, Chittagong failed to get rid off the opposition lower-order. Number eight Tapash Baisya came in when his side were struggling at 109 for six in the 32nd over.
With Sharifullah, the national paceman smacked a 52-ball 50. Tapash smashed four sixes and three fours in his innings as Sylhet were bowled out in the final over for 210.
The hosts never looked like toppling the decent rival total, barring a late-order revival from Dhiman Ghosh, who scored a painstaking 74-ball 37.
Left-armer Enamul Haque continued his impressive run with the ball, picking three for 23 off his 6.3 overs.
BRIEF SCORES
RAJSHAHI: 224-8 in 50 overs (Zunaed 59, Jahurul 4, Farhad 18, Forhad 3, Mushfiqur 0, Mashud 2, Mahbub 26, Delwar 12, Nayeem 73*, Saqlain 12*; Mosharraf 3-18, Sharif 3-54, Mahmudullah 1-41, Mahbubul 1-52).
DHAKA: 203 all out in 47.3 overs (Javed 9, Al Shahriar 11, Mehrab 7, Mosharraf 37, Ashraful 55, Mahmudullah 22, Nazmul 10, Sajjad 9, Sharif 12, Mahbubul 16, Niaz 1*; Farhad 3-18, Shafaq 2-34, Mahbub 2-35, Saqlain 2-42, Forhad 1-25).
Result: Rajshahi won by 21 runs.
Man-of-the-match: Naeem Islam.
KHULNA: 240 all out in 49.2 overs (Sadat 30, Kayes 55, Bashar 33, Shakib 25, Tushar 39, Nahidul 10, Mashrafe 1, Ziaur 17, Selim 2, Rasel 3, Murad 2*; Tariqul 4-30, Abul Bashar 2-47, Sumon 2-55, Sajidul 2-55).
BARISAL: 243-6 in 49.1 overs (Nafees 9, Hannan 70, Rokibul 5, Prosenjit 2, Bashar 33, Arafat 4, Imran 99*, Sajidul 7*; Mashrafe 2-46, Shakib 1-43, Murad 1-45, Rasel 1-48).
Result: Barisal won by 4 wickets.
Man-of-the-match: Imran Ahmed.
Sylhet: 210 all out in 49.2 overs (Imtiaz 20, Rajin 28, Sirajullah 0, Mabud 2, Kapali 29, Ejaz 10, Sharifullah 46, Tapash 50, Enamul 5, Rashedur 1, Nahidul 1*; Tareq 3-46, Aftab 2-18, Kamrul 2-56, Sabbir 1-36, Ehsanul 1-45).
Chittagong: 185 all out in 45.4 overs (Salahuddin 4, Nafees 6, Aftab 32, Elias 10, Nazimuddin 36, Faisal 0, Ehsanul 39, Dhiman 37*, Kamrul 3, Tareq 2, Sabbir 3; Enamul 3-23, Imtiaz 2-25, Rashedur 2-36, Nabil 1-23, Tapash 1-42).
Result: Sylhet won by 25 runs.
Man-of-the-match: Tapash Baisya.