Barisal close to win

Classy Marshall Ayub executes a perfectly balanced cover drive during his knock of 181 in the National Cricket League match between Dhaka and Chittagong at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium yesterday.Photo: Zobaer Hossain Sikder

Just three more wickets and Barisal will take top slot in the National Cricket League after destroying Rajshahi in the second innings at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra yesterday.
Chasing 305 runs with more than a day in hand, Rajshahi slumped to 48 for seven after the hosts made 342 in the second innings with Hannan Sarkar and Nasir Hossain both missing hundreds by a whisker.
With Barisal three points behind the leaders ahead of the sixth round, the win would put them above Rajshahi.
But for individual brilliance, the third day belonged to Dhaka's Marshall Ayub, who slammed 181 in Chittagong as the visitors declared their first innings on 366 for nine.
Chittagong, trailing by 52 runs, made 125 for two in their second innings at stumps. Away in Sylhet, Khulna made 250 for five after the hosts scored 300 on the second day.
BARISAL-RAJSHAHI
Overnight batsmen Hannan Sarkar and Nasir Hossain added 92 runs for the fourth wicket before the former was out leg-before to the offspin of Farhad Hossain, a run short of a well-deserved ton. The right-hander struck eleven boundaries and a six in his 149-ball knock.
Nasir guided Barisal's lower-middle order before the youngster also fell to Farhad for 92 off 218 balls that had eight boundaries.
In reply, the visitors started disastrously, losing their openers without a run on the board and then left-arm spinner Tariqul Islam took three quick wickets. Nasir added the scalp of Mushfiqur Rahman as Rajshahi were decimated. They require an impossible 257 runs on the final day with three wickets in hand.
DHAKA-CHITTAGONG
A well-set Marshall Ayub had already passed fifty when day began at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium and he took full toll of the home attack, smashing as many as 25 boundaries. He ended with 181 off 293 deliveries that also included a six as Dhaka declared their innings on 366 for nine.
His six-and-a-half hour knock was ended when Mohammad Younus trapped him leg-before with the team's score on 347. The burly left-armer from Cox's Bazar got three while paceman Tariq Aziz took four wickets.
Chittagong replied well, scoring 125 for two with Nafis Iqbal and Rezaul Karim hitting half-centuries but the latter's run out would give Dhaka the momentum going into the final day.
SYLHET V KHULNA
If the first day belonged to Mithun Ali, Ashraful Aziz made the second day his with a century of his own.
The right-hander who opened the batting with Mithun in the under-19 World Cup, stroked 105 with the help of eight boundaries and a six in a knock that spanned more than three hours.
His innings meant Khulna were just 50 runs away from the hosts' score of 300 all out.
Nabil Samad held back the visitors somewhat with three wickets for 55 runs.
BRIEF SCORES
BARISAL: 166 and second innings 342 in 116.4 overs (Rony 41, Faruque 19, Hannan 99, Imran 18, Nasir 92, Raisul 24, Shahin 12, Tariqul 5, Talha 7, Saju 7*, Kamrul 1; Kabir 1-58, Shuvo 4-119, Farhad 4-33, Shafiul 1-43).
RAJSHAHI: 204 and second innings 48-7 in 19.3 overs (Mahbub 0, Jahurul 0, Farhad 22, Mashud 0, Anisur 11, Shuvo 12*, Mushfiqur 0, Alamgir 0; Talha 1-13, Tariqul 3-14, Kamrul 2-9, Nasir 1-1) [target: 305].
CHITTAGONG: 314 and second innings 125-2 in 29 overs (Salahuddin 8, Nafis 52*, Rezaul 59; Imon 1-28).
DHAKA: First innings 366-9 dec in 128.2 overs (Javed 13, Anwar 65, Shamsur 15, Marshall 181, Riyad 1, Nadif 41, Milon 12, Arafat 4, Elias 0, Imon 11*; Tariq 4-61, Younus 3-110, Raihan 2-80).
SYLHET: First innings 300 all out in 96.3 overs (Rahman 5, Imtiaz 8, Saikat 88, Mithun 106, Rajin 49*, Kamrul 1, Rezaul 17, Taposh 0, Nabil 0, Rashedur 2, Monir 12; Zia 1-46, Dollar 2-50, Rabiul 3-58, Atiqur 2-82, Anas 2-41).
KHULNA: First innings 250-5 in 82 overs (Amit 34, Ashraful 105, Sahagir 9, Tushar 25, Nahid 18, Anas 21*, Salim 18*; Nabil 3-55, Monir 1-61, Rashedur 1-64).