Ashraful, Rony tons put East on top
Rony Talukdar and Mohammad Ashraful displayed a strong batting performance as they both hit unbeaten hundreds to put East Zone on top against North Zone on the first day of their Bangladesh Cricket League's fourth round match at the Shahid Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi yesterday.
The pair added 241 runs in an unbeaten fourth-wicket stand as East finished the day on 354 for three.
Imran Ali gave North a good start, removing Sadiqur Rahman in the second over but another opener, Rony, stayed cool at the other end and got some good support from Mominul Haque (26) and Mahmudul Hasan (29) to steady the ship before Ashraful joined to to make sure that East ran riot on the first day.
28-year-old Rony, who has played only one T20I against South Africa after making his international debut in 2015 but possess a good first-class record with 4000-plus runs in 75 matches, struck three fifties in his last six first class matches after scoring a career best unbeaten 228 for Dhaka Division against Chittagong Division in a National Cricket League match last October at Fatullah.
The man from Narayanganj was outstanding yesterday as he created a good opportunity for another double hundred as he remained not out on a 241-ball 183-run knock featuring 19 fours and five sixes.
The century was a special one for Ashraful though as he was not included in the first ever players' draft due to poor form. However, he was called to play in the third round at Bogura, where he showed signs of form by striking 64 runs against Central Zone. The 34-year-old right-hander followed up with an unbeaten 186-ball 107 laced with 13 boundaries.
In the other match at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, bowlers dominated the day as pacer Al-Amin Hossain's three-wicket haul and two wickets each from Mahedi Hasan and Abdur Razzak helped South Zone restrict Central Zone to 234 for eight. After 16 for two, Central could only manage a respectable total on the day thanks to opener Shadman Islam, who scored a 138-ball 60 before being run out.
SCORES IN BRIEF
CENTRAL ZONE V SOUTH ZONE
CENTRAL ZONE: First innings 234 for 8 (Shadman 60, Marshall 44, Shuvagata 27, Taibur 43 not out; Al-Amin 3-51, Mahedi Hasan 2-50, Razzak 2-69)
EAST ZONE V NORTH ZONE
EAST ZONE: First innings 354 for 3 (Rony 183 not out, Mominul 26, Mahmudul 29, Ashraful 107 not out; Imran 1-39)
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