Mohammedan drop stars, win easy

Mohammedan Sporting Club dropped six players including captain Mohammad Ashraful, Aftab Ahmed and Zunaed Siddiqui but went on to beat City Club by seven wickets at the BKSP in Savar yesterday.
After their humiliating nine-wicket defeat to archrivals to Abahani last Thursday, the Mohammedan management decided to axe the Tigers trio along with Anwar Hossain, foreign recruit Aqeel Arshad and seamer Tapash Baisya.
Suharwardi Shuvo was handed the captaincy and Imtiaz Ahmed, Imrul Kayes, wicketkeeper Nadimuddin, Rashedul Haq, Sabbir Ahmed and Yasin Arafat replaced the fallen six.
And it proved lucky for the Motijheel giants as right-arm spinner Arafat took away the man-of-the-match award with a splendid three-wicket haul that destroyed City Club who were bowled out for only 136 runs in 28.2 overs. Later, another replacement Rashedul smashed five sixes and only two fours in his 90-ball 60 to power Mohammedan to an easy victory in 30.2 overs.
City were never in with a chance when they lost their top-order for just 65 runs in the 17th over when their last recognised batsman Abul Bashar (12) fell to Yasin. Later, Shafaq Al Zabir struck 47 off 34 balls with the help of five sixes and three boundaries.
Mohammedan's new look batting order began in the wrong foot but Rashedul restored parity and along with Nadimuddin (37) and Rokibul Hasan (9*), one of three national colours who survived the chop.
Meanwhile, BKSP posted a five-wicket victory over Surjo Torun at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium. Batting first, Surjo Torun rode on Shamsur Rahman's 72 to score 206 in 49 overs. The right-handed opener struck as many as 13 boundaries but the rest of the innings stalled after his dismissal. Later, it was Shamsur's Academy teammate Nasir Hossain who took BKSP to the victory. Nasir slammed 65 off 86 balls including four boundaries and a six.
For Surjo Torun, Mohammad Younis took the wickets of Mohammad Mithun (40), Ashraful Aziz (11), Simon Ahmed (1) and Mushfiqur Rahim (5) but his performance was marred by an under-par effort from the rest of the bowlers.
SCORES IN BRIEF
CITY: 136 all out in 28.2 overs (Shafaq 47, Robiul 16; Yasin 3-25).
MSC: 141-3 in 30.2 overs (Rashedul 60*, Nadimuddin 37; Shafaq 2-11).
Result: MSC won by seven wickets.
SURJO: 206 all out in 49 overs (Shamsur 72, Sharif 30; Anas 4-23).
BKSP: 207-5 in 49 overs (Nasir 65*, Mahmudul 59; Younis 4-40).
Result: BKSP won by five wickets.