Fahim flays Ctg

Fahim Muntasir scored a dazzling half-century as holders Dhaka posted a commanding total on the opening day of their crucial Ispahani Mirzapore Fourth National League match against Chittagong at Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium yesterday.

The discarded national off-spinner and a useful lower-order batsman hammered 60 off 70 balls as Dhaka recovered from a middle-order collapse to finish on 316 for eight in 91.4 overs.

Fahim was the last batsman out in the day slashing paceman Ashique to Tariq Aziz at wide mid-off, but not before he shared in a vital 97 runs for the eighth wicket with Neeyamur Rashid.

An equally impressive Neeyamur was batting on 39.

Desperately needing an outright victory against the league leaders, Dhaka fielded a full-strength team that included former Bangladesh captains Naimur Rahman and Aminul Islam.

But Aminul scored only two. He top-edged an attempted cut off left-arm spinner Ahsanullah Hasan to Aftab at point. Naimur however contributed a 68-ball 39.

Dhaka got off to a brisk start with opener Rashedul Haq notching a 37-ball 30 that included seven cracking boundaries. His partner Jahangir Alam made 38 and one-down Mazharul Haq struck six fours in his impressive 33.

Ahsanullah was the most successful Chittagong bowler with four for 97 runs and right-arm paceman Tariq took two for 64.

SYLHET-BARISAL

At the Fatullah Stadium, Barisal rode on a brilliant 89 by Prosenjit to score 290-7 in 92 overs against Sylhet.

Coming in to bat at number eight, Prosenjit held the innings together after a bottom-placed Barisal crashed to 162 for six.

Prosenjit shared 72 runs for the unbroken eighth-wicket with Nadif, who was batting on 31.

Prosenjit clubbed fourteen boundaries in his defiant 168-ball unconquered knock.

Nayan Kumar with a solid 59 was the other notable run-getter for Barisal. He struck six fours and a couple of sixes.

Young left-arm spinner Imran Rahim claimed three wickets for 64 runs for Sylhet.