Batsmen power Victoria, Rupganj
League leaders Victoria fended off a stirring fightback from holders Prime Bank to prevail by 23 runs in Fatullah while Legends of Rupganj crushed Mohammedan by 104 runs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on the opening day of the Dhaka Premier League's Super League stage yesterday. Both matches were reduced-over affairs after rain in the morning.
The wins have put Victoria and Rupganj in the top two spots of the six-team Super League table. While Victoria have 17 points Rupganj have 16.
Leaders Victoria gave enough evidence of their pedigree with the bat as opener Abdul Mazid led the charge to help them rack up 272 for six in just 40 overs.
Abdul Mazid was on track for his third successive hundred, having reached 72 off 68 balls with 10 fours and a six before being run out. Skipper Mominul Haque also played a crucial hand after winning the toss, scoring a 47-ball 55 from number three and putting on 83 for the second wicket with Mazid. Chaturanga de Silva (39 off 23) and Nadif Chowdhury (run-a-ball 41) provided the finishing touches as Victoria set up a challenging target.
Nazmul Islam and Shuvagata Hom were the only bowlers to escape severe punishment, with the latter picking up a wicket for 45 runs off his eight overs.
In reply, Prime Bank made a good fist of a tall order as they finished on 249 for eight in 40 overs. Mehedi Maruf and Nurul Hasan hit brisk half-centuries, scoring 55 and 52 of 43 and 48 balls respectively.
At Mirpur, Rupganj's 232 for eight in 45 overs after being sent in to bat owed much to an 89-run opening stand between Mohammad Mithun and Soumya Sarkar, who was the first one out in the last ball of the 16th over for a 43-ball 40 studded with four fours and a six. Mithun carried on for an 88-ball 59 with six fours, but was part of a collapse that saw four wickets fall for 26 runs. The damage was repaired with a 51-run sixth-wicket partnership between Sajjadul Haque and Mosharraf Hossain, both of whom did well to maintain a competitive run-rate. It was then Indian import Pawan Negi who lifted Rupganj to a fighting total with a 19-ball 28. Naeem Islam was the best bowler for Mohammedan, claiming the four important wickets of the openers, Junaid Siddique and Sajjadul Haque.
Mohammedan's reply was one of abject surrender as they folded for 128 in 31.5 overs. Opener Hamidur Islam (37 off 60) and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (34 off 32) were the only two batsman to cross 20 as Mohammedan fell to a mixture of good bowling and irresponsible batting. Alauddin Babu, Negi and Nahidul Islam took two wickets each to speed Mohammedan's demise.
SCORES IN BRIEF
LEGENDS OF RUPGANJ: 232 for 8 in 45 overs (Mithun 59, Soumya 40; Naeem 4-31)
MOHAMMEDAN: 128 all out in 31.5 overs (Hamidul 37, Mushfiqur 34; Nahidul 2-7, Babu 2-22)
Result: Legends of Rupganj won by 104 runs
VICTORIA SC: 272 for 6 in 40 overs (Mazid 72, Mominul 55; Azim 2-65)
PRIME BANK: 249 for 8 in 40 overs (Mehedi 55, Nurul 52; Mahbub 2-37)
Result: Victoria won by 23 runs
ABAHANI: 191 all out in 42.4 overs (Nazmul 71, Liton 48; Al-Amin 3-30, Sanjamul 3-39)
PRIME DOLESHWAR: 59 for 2 in 17 overs (Rakibul 25 not out; Kumar 1-13)