A thriller and a Mash special
Four runs to defend in the last over, two wickets in two balls and then a number 11 takes the winning run off the last ball. All that action was packed into the last over bowled by Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity medium pacer Mohammad Saddam, who was bested by Prime Doleshwar's last man Manik Khan as the tailender took two off the first ball he faced and a single off his third ball to win his side their Dhaka Premier League match by just one wicket in Fatullah yesterday.
The day's two other games in BKSP -- with a Mashrafe Bin Mortaza-- inspired Abahani Limited triumphing by 36 runs against Kalabagan Krira Chakra and holders Gazi Group Cricketers defeating Shinepukur Cricket Club by 20 runs -- were also close affairs.
In Fatullah, Prime Doleshwar had Khelaghar in early trouble as left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny, medium pacer Forhad Reza and off-spinner Mohammad Sharifullah dismissed opener Robiul Islam Robi, Sadiqur Rahman, Khelaghar skipper Nafees Iqbal and Amit Majumder to have them at 73 for four inside 24 overs. The innings' lone half-centurion Nazimuddin and Ashok Menaria then put on 74 runs for the fifth wicket and a cameo from Moinul Islam lifted the score to 199 for seven. Menaria scored 45, while Forhad took four for 37 for Doleshwar.
In Doleshwar's reply, after a 53-run opening stand between Imtiaz Hossain and Fazle Mahmud provided a good start, Marshall Ayub's dismissal with the score on 135 for three in the 36th over set off a mini-collapse as they lost four wickets for 40 runs. Saddam then dismissed Sunny and Forhad in the last over before Manik became the unlikely hero.
At the BKSP, Abahani were in big trouble at 105 for six before a Mashrafe special -- a 54-ball 67 with three fours and five massive sixes -- took them to a defendable 217 all out with one delivery left unused. Mosaddek Hossain, who just two days ago was part of the national squad for the Sri Lanka Tests, had earlier chipped in with 40 and Nazmul Hossain hit 55. Pacer Muktar Ali took three for Kalabagan.
In Kalabagan's reply, Mashrafe excelled at his day job as he finished with four for 49, dismissing top order batsmen Jashimuddin and Jatin Saxena before coming back and dispatching Sanjit Saha and wrapping up the innings at 181 with the wicket of Shahadat Hossain.
The other match at BKSP was a relatively high-scoring one as a 90 from Zakir Ali Anik and half-centuries from Nadif Choudhury and Rajat Bhatia took Gazi Group to 279 for six. Another trio of half-centuries from Sabbir Hossain, Towhid Ridoy and Uday Paul had Shinepukur well-placed at 197 for three in the 29th over but a flurry of wickets, with Mosaddek's fellow national discards Nayeem Hasan and Kamrul Islam Rabbi playing a part, saw them being dismissed for 259.