Farhad toys with Central batsmen

While there has been plenty of noise about whether the national team management's ploy of employing an all-out spin attack in Tests is discouraging pacers in the country, the green top at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogura has provided some good news for them.

Fast bowlers continued to exploit the pace-friendly pitch in Bogura as East Zone's medium-pacer Farhad Reza bowled career-best figures of 7-32 to wrap up Central Zone for 118 runs on the opening day of the third round of the Bangladesh Cricket League yesterday.

The 32-year old eclipsed his previous best 6-54 on way to securing an eighth five-wicket haul after Abu Jayed -- who took two wickets -- opened the floodgates by removing Pinak Ghosh.

In a second round match at the same venue, Ebadat Hossain, Shahidul Islam and Mohor Sheikh had run riot on the green pitch.

Marshall Ayub, the Central Zone batsman who made a duck, praised Farhad for his good bowling but added that the wet pitch made the job difficult for batsmen.

"You know the pitch was wet as there was no sunshine and because of that it was impossible for the batsmen to survive on such a green top surface. But Farhad deserves praise for the way he exploited the conditions," said the right-hander.

Pacer Shahadat Hossain scalped the lone East Zone wicket before bad light halted the day's play.

At the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, pacer Ebadat made somewhat of an impact but it was left-arm spinner Sunzamul Islam's four-wicket haul that saw South Zone finish the day at 280 for nine against North Zone.

South rode on half-centuries from Tushar Imran, who hit a 146-ball 62, and Rakibul Hasan, who scored a 146-ball 79, to reach a respectable first innings total.

SCORES IN BRIEF 

CENTRAL ZONE V EAST ZONE

CENTRAL ZONE: 118 all out in 55 overs (Rakin 14, Pinak 21, Taibur 14, Jaker 20 not out, Sharifullah 23; Jayed 2-33, Ifran 1-26, Farhad 7-32)

EAST ZONE: 37-1 in 14 overs (Rony 18, Shamsur 9 not out, Mahmudul 9 not out; Shahadat 1-25)

SOUTH ZONE V NORTH ZONE

SOUTH ZONE: 280-9 in 90 overs (Anamul 19, Fazle 45, Tushar 62, Rakibul 79, Mahedi 23 not out; Ebadat 2-41, Sunzamul 4-62)