Khulna, Dhaka on track

Top tier teams Khulna and Dhaka were in firm control at the end of the second day's play of the National Cricket League yesterday.

Guided by a measured 186 from Mohammad Mithun, Khulna posted a powerful 455 in their first innings against Dhaka Metro in Mirpur. After the exchange, a brilliant three-wicket burst from Mustafizur Rahman ripped Metro's top order and they reached stumps at 78 for 4. 

Mithun, who had an overnight score of 87, made no fuss about reaching the three-figure mark as he was up and going in the morning session. The middle-order batsman wasn't satisfied with a mere century and gritted out through the next two sessions. He received ample support from Bangladesh Under-19 skipper Mehedi Hasan Miraz-- who scored 67in a century stand. Mithun, who hit 24 fours, eventually got out at the stroke of tea.

Meanwhile, at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra, a century from number seven Nadif Chowdhury helped Dhaka recover from 255 for 6 to post 449. It wasn't just Nadif's century, but also a fighting display from Dhaka's tailenders that further frustrated Rangpur. Saghir Hossain, Mosharraf Hossain and Mohammad Sharif, Dhaka's number eight, nine and ten had scores of 31, 36 and 30 respectively.

After scoring a fighting 36, Mosharraf came back to take three wickets as Rangpur finished the day on 98 for 3. 

The highlight of Day Two though was 19-year-old Mosaddek Hossain, who scored an unbeaten 200 to take Barisal to 527 for 9 against Sylhet at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna. Sylhet however fought back well after the exchange as their openers Imtiaz Hossain and Shanaj Ahmed put in a century stand. Sylhet finished the day on a 112 for no loss.

The match at Rajshahi is set for a close finish with Chittagong gaining a 75-run first-innings lead over the hosts. A four-wicket haul from leg-spinner Jubair Hossain helped the port city bundle Rajshahi out for 308. 

SCORES IN BRIEF 

KHULNA V DHAKA METRO
KHULNA: 455 all out in 112.1 overs (Mithun 186, Mehedi 67; Shahid 4-84, Sharifullah 2-76)
DHAKA METRO: 78 for 4 (Marshall 27 not out, Asif 25 not out; Mustafizur 
3-19, Al-Amin 1-14) 

DHAKA V RANGPUR
DHAKA: 449 all out in 139.3 overs (Nadif 111; Suhrawadi 3-120, Tanveer 2-31)
RANGPUR: 98 for 3 (Liton 51; 
Mosharraf 3-33) 

BARISAL V SYLHET 
BARISAL: 527 for 9 dec (Mosaddek 200 not out, Fazle 103; Abul 3-45, Enamul 3-110)
SYLHET: 112 for no loss (Shanaj 58 not out, Imtiaz 51 not out) 

CHITTAGONG V RAJSHAHI 
CHITTAGONG: 383 all out in 95.3 overs (Irfan 102, Yasir 91, Mominul 90, Saifuddin 74 not out; Shafaq 3-40, Muktar 3-75)
RAJSHAHI: 308 all out in 71.4 overs (Junaid 81, Farhad 69; Jubair 4-104, Nabil 3-50)