Shahidul shows the way; South feel the heat
A green wicket is a fast bowler's paradise -- a common knowledge in cricket. However, only a cricket expert may possess enough wisdom to realise that even on a green-top, a bowler needs to know which areas to hit and have the skill to exploit it.
According to national selector Habibul Bashar, Central Zone fast bowler Shahidul Islam did exhibit some of that wisdom yesterday as he was able to utilise the green surface at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogura during the second day of their Bangladesh Cricket League second round encounter with North Zone.
Shahidul picked up five wickets in the process, ending with figures of six wickets for 64 runs -- a personal best in first class cricket.
"It was an ideal fast bowling track but credit goes to Shahidul as he could bowl in the right areas and knew exactly where to hit the seam," said Bashar.
Shahidul delivered the first blow when he picked up Mizanur Rahman's wicket after the batsman and Farhad Hossain doubled the first day's total, taking the score to 144 for two after 35 overs. However, North's struggles began after that as they lost another wicket off the very first ball of the following over.
Central then kept North at bay by taking wickets at regular intervals. North finished their first innings with the scoreboard reading 255, a 35-run lead.
Coming in to bat, Central managed only 50 runs for the loss of three wickets by the end of the day's play.
At the Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi, East Zone batsman Yasir Ali struck a 174-ball 112-run knock which helped his side post a mammoth first innings total of 473 runs against South Zone.
In reply, South stumbled to 89 for four at stumps. Raqibul Hasan and Nurul Hasan were the only positives for South, remaining unbeaten for 33 and 19 runs while the rest of the top order had struggled. Mahmudul Hasan was the pick of the bowlers for East, scalping two wickets for 26 runs from his 12 overs.
SCORES IN BRIEF
CENTRAL ZONE V NORTH ZONE
CENTRAL ZONE: 220 all out and 50 for three (Shanto 22 not out, Ayub 9; Ebadat 1-15, Mohor 1-1, Ziaur 1-24)
NORTH ZONE: 255 all out (Mizanur 81, Farhad 54, Naeem 61; Shahidul 6-64, Mosharraf 2-56, Hider 2-59)
EAST ZONE V SOUTH ZONE
EAST ZONE: 473 all out (Rony 53, Shamsur 153, Tasamul 48, Yasir 112, Enamul 46; Razzak 5-171, Mahedi 2-99, Fazle 2-14, Al-Amin 1-40)
SOUTH ZONE: 89 for four in 40 overs (Fazle 29, Raqibul 33 not out, Nurul 19 not out; Mahmudul 2-26, Hasan 1-19, Saifuddin 1-19)
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