A day for openers
Gazi Tank returned to wining ways in the Premier Cricket League with their top order shaping a five-wicket victory against lowly Young Pegasus yesterday.
Gazi Tank, who crashed to fellow newcomers CCS in the previous round for their second loss, were throttled by Imrul Kayes and Anwar Hossain's 99-run opening stand on way to their second win in four rounds.
Surjo Torun remained joint-second with defending champions Abahani after a 16-run win over CCS while BKSP dumped City Club by six wickets in the other match of the day.
GAZI TANK - PEGASUS
This year's losing finalists of the Twenty20 competition Gazi Tank have not had the best possible start. Mohammad Ashraful's men, however, carved a comfortable victory at the Fatullah Stadium to improve their statistics.
Chasing Pegasus's 219-9, Kayes (78 off 110 balls) and Anwar (50 off 69 balls) gave a perfect start but the partnership broke one run short of the three-figure mark.
Kayes, adjudged man-of-the-match for an entertaining knock laced with seven fours and two sixes, went on to consolidate their position with another half-century stand, with Nafees Iqbal (30 off 59 balls), as they cantered to 220-5 with almost three overs to spare despite skipper Ashraful spent very little time on the pitch.
Earlier, Pegasus whose only point in the league came from an opening round tie with Mohammedan, opted to bat first. But they could not bank on a decent start -- Arif Reza and Rahat Sadek put on 55 for the opening partnership -- and Humayun Kabir's 51 off 77 deliveries to gather a fighting total against the left-arm spin of Enamul Haque who grabbed four wickets for 47.
SURJO TORUN - CCS
Indian batsman Sandeep Sharma was in charge for Surjo Torun who stormed to their third win. Captain Khaled Mashud did not hesitate to bat first at BKSP and opener Sharma played the sheet anchor with a slow but steady 64.
The Indian, who hit five boundaries and won the man-of-the-match award, shared 69 with Junaid Siddque (35) in a rather subdued opening stand that lasted 17 overs.
Sabbir Rahman contributed a quickfire 29-ball 38 and Sanjamul Islam 21 off 16 balls as Torun rattled 50 runs in the final five overs.
Opener Uttam Sarker's 45 kept CCS alive but the side that upset Gazi Tank last time out, stumbled to 99-5. Nazmul Hossain fought a lone battle in the rear but his unbeaten 76 (85 balls) went down the drains despite a 77-run partnership with number 10 Monwar Hossain (30) for the ninth wicket.
BKSP-CITY
In a one-sided match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Asif Ahmed was the star in BKSP's cakewalk victory with nine overs to spare.
The opener from the Savar sport institute hammered 11 fours in a 101-ball 75 as BKSP cruised to 189-4 in reply to City Club's 188-9.
Lalmohon Hossain made 40 and number nine Sirajuddowlah Khaled smashed a run-a-ball 50 but all-losing City, after electing to bat, never recovered from a poor start.
SCORES IN BRIEF
PEGASUS: 219-9 in 50 overs 9Arif32, Rahat 31, Ruvin 15, Humayun 51, Bashar 38, Rubaiyat 23, Rabiul 2-56, Enamul 4-47)
GAZI TANK: 220-5 in 47.1 overs (Imrul 78, Anwar 50, Nafees 30, Ashraful 18, Nayeem 15*, Bashar 1-37, Zakaria 2-58, Ruvin 1-29, Jubaer 1-24).
Result: Gazi Tank won by five wickets.
SURJO TORUN: 244-9 in 50 overs (Sharma 64, Junaid 35, Hannan 15, Rajin 10, Anisur 31, Sabbir 38, Sanjamul 21, Nizamuddin 1-39, Elias 2-53, Bishwanath 1-32, Shakil 3-52).
CCS: 228-9 in 50 overs (Uttam 45, Shahbaz 16, Elias 20, Nazmul 76*, Monwar 30, Shafiul 3-49, Sanjamul 1-38, Mahbub 1-32, Rajin 1-51).
Result: Surjo Torun won by 16 runs
CITY CLUB: 188-9 in 50 overs (Rasel 12, Taher 18, Lalmohon 40, Hamidul 12, Saif 23, Sirajullah 50, Riaz 1-31, Niyamul 1-21, Rifat 3-37, Inamul 2-17, Mominul 1-41)
BKSP: 189-4 (Asif 75, Atiqur 14, Mominul 38, Zabid 43*, Shafaq 2-52, Lalmohon 2-37).
Result: BKSP win by six wickets.
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