MSC through to Super League
Final spot a toss-up between Gazi Group and Prime Bank
Mushfiqur Rahim's Mohammedan sealed their spot in the Super League of the Dhaka Premier League yesterday by comfortably beating Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by six wickets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
Mohammedan needed to win this game in order to avoid a possible five-way tussle in the rankings table. With 14 points from eleven games, they are currently at the top of the 12-team table. However, their stay at pole position may last for just a day as Legends of Rupganj and Victoria will go past Mohammedan if they win their respective games today. However, Mushfiqur and Co will be happy to have confirmed a position.
Batting first, Mahmudullah Riyad's Sheikh Jamal were restricted to 187 for 8 in 42 overs. Eight overs a side had to be chopped off the fixture due to rain in the morning. The problem with Sheikh Jamal was that none of their players managed to make the most of their starts.
For instance, six of their batsmen got out in their 20s with Mahbubul Karim and Zabid Hossain top-scoring with 29 and 28 runs respectively.
The key wicket-taker of the day was Mohammedan's foreign slow left-arm bowler, Bipul Sharma. The all-rounder, who did well for Sunrisers Hyderabad alongside Mustafizur Rahman in the Indian Premier League, has excelled in the Dhaka Premier League so far.
He scored a century in his first game of the competition and scalped a four-wicket haul in his second yesterday.
After the exchange, Mohamedan, buoyed by Mushfiqur's unbeaten 66 and Naeem Islam's 51, reached their target in just 32.2 overs. Sheikh Jamal skipper Mahmudullah tried his best to curtail the run flow with some aggressive captaincy, but at the end of the day, it turned out to be a target too low. Riyad ended up with figures of three for 52, but that just was not enough. Bipul came in towards the end and smacked a 25-ball 34 with two sixes as Mohammedan raced home.
The game between Rupganj and Brothers Union, scheduled to take place at the BKSP yesterday could not be played due to rain.
Five teams -- Prime Doleshwar, Legends of Rupganj, Abahani, Mohammedan and Victoria -- have so far confirmed their spots in the Super League. Prime Bank Cricket Club and Gazi Group Cricketers are the teams fighting for the remaining spot.
Prime Bank are placed in sixth place with 12 points in eleven games. Gazi Group will play their last game against Victoria at Fatullah today. If Gazi Group win, they will get 12 points and will hop over Prime Bank Cricket Club as per the head-to-head rule. However, if they lose, Prime Bank will go through.
SCORES IN BRIEF
SHEIKH JAMAL DHANMONDI CLUB: 187 for 8 (Mahbubul 29, Zabid 28, Marshall 27; Bipul 4-24, Habibur 1-23)
MOHAMMEDAN SC: 188 for 4 in 32.2 overs (Mushfiqur 66 not out, Naeem 51, Bipul 34; Mahmudullah 3-52)
Result: Mohammedan won by six wickets.