Saifuddin keeps rocking, but it's Rupganj's DPL to lose
Soon after being dropped from the Bangladesh World Cup squad, pacer Taskin Ahmed came back well with the ball and bagged four wickets as Legends of Rupganj continued their clinical performance in the Super League stage of the Dhaka Premier League and clinched a comfortable seven-wicket win over Prime Doelwshar Sporting Club yesterday.
Abahani, who are just behind Rupganj in the points table, also registered a comprehensive six-wicket win over Prime Bank Cricket Club riding on Mohammad Saifuddin's second five-wicket haul in three games. In the other match of the day Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club bundled out Mohammedan Sporting Club for just 159 and chased the target successfully with seven wickets in hand.
At the BKSP-3 ground, Doleswhar lost early wickets after electing to bat, courtesy of pacer Taskin who ended up with figures of four for 54 from his nine overs. Fellow pacer Mohammad Shahid bagged three wickets as Doleshwar were all-out for 205. Shykat Ali's 72 was the highest score for the batting side.
In reply, Shahriar Nafees struck a hundred as the left-hander remained unbeaten on a 142-ball 113 as Rupganj reached the target for the cost of three wickets and with 34 balls to spare.
With two games remaining in the league, table-toppers Rupganj -- who have twelve wins in 14 games -- will clinch the title if they beat Abahani in their next game. Defending champions Abahani are two points behind with eleven wins in 14 games.
At the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, pacer Saifuddin bowled brilliantly to remove both Prime Bank openers Anamul Haque and Rubel Mia cheaply and followed it up with a brilliant death-over spell to pick three more wickets and help bundle out the opposition for 226 runs. The experienced Alok Kapali was the top scorer for Prime Bank with 80 while Nayeem Hasan remained not out on fifty.
Saifuddin ended up with figures of five for 32 from 9.3 overs, while Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Soumya Sarkar took two wickets each for Abahani.
Soumya, who has been struggling with the bat in the league, once again failed and was dismissed for a duck as Abahani were at one stage struggling on 55 for three inside 14 overs.
But the in-form Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Indian recruit Wasim Jaffer added 122 runs for the fourth wicket and eventually clinched an easy win.
Jaffer was dismissed for 64 off 80 balls, which featured three fours and two sixes, but left-hander Nazmul remained unbeaten on 77 off 84 balls with the help of four boundaries and a six. Mohammad Mithun was not out on 33.
Mohammedan continued to struggle in the Super League as leg-spinner Tanbir Hayder bagged four wickets for Sheikh Jamal to bundle out the Black And Whites for 159. Tushar Imran's fifty was the highest score.
Jamal reached the target losing three wickets and with 16.3 overs to spare. Skipper Nurul Hasan was unbeaten on 83 off 85 balls, having struck nine fours and a six.
SCORES IN BRIEF
PRIME DOLESHWAR v LEGENDS OF RUPGANJ
Doleshwar: 205 all out in 45 overs (Shykat 72, Saif 37; Taskin 4-54, Shahid 3-35)
Rupganj: 208 for 3 in 44.2 overs (Shahriar 113 not out, Mehedi 41; Manik 1-32, Saif 1-34)
Result: Rupganj won by 7 wickets.
Player-of-the-match: Shahriar Nafees.
PRIME BANK v ABAHANI
Prime Bank: 226 all out in 49.3 overs (Kapali 80, Nayeem 51 not out; Saifuddin 5-32, Soumya 2-42)
Abahani: 228 for 4 in 44.4 overs (Nazmul 77 not out, Jaffer 64; Nayeem 2-49, Ariful 1-27)
Result: Abahani won by 6 wickets.
Player-of-the-match: Mohammad Saifuddin.
MOHAMMEDAN v SHEIKH JAMAL
Mohammedan: 159 all out in 44.4 overs (Tushar 56, Liton 26; Tanbir 4-16, Khaled 2-32)
Sheikh Jamal: 163 for 3 in 33.3 overs (Nurul 83 not out, Imtiaz 54; Shafiul 1-12, Sohag 1-22)
Result: Sheikh Jamal won b 7 wickets.
Player-of-the-match: Nurul Hasan.
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