Nasum reaches 100

Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed picked up a second consecutive five-wicket haul in the ongoing Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) and also scalped his 100th first-class wicket along the way, helping BCB South Zone bundle out BCB North Zone for 385 in their first innings on the second day of their encounter at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram yesterday.

South Zone replied well with the bat and ended the day on 112 for two, still trailing by another 273 runs with Towhid Hridoy (39 not out) and Amite Hasan (31 not out) set to resume the third day's play.

Earlier, after North Zone resumed the day on 246 for four, Nasum started off by removing centurion Naeem Islam. Nasum, who scalped a solitary wicket the previous day, had Naeem caught behind after a 342-ball 137, featuring 15 fours and a maximum. Nasum went on to pick four more wickets, bagging his sixth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.

The left-arm spinner reached the 100-wicket mark in first-class cricket when he trapped in front Shafiqul Islam, the last North Zone batter, to end with figures of six for 126.

Apart from Nasum, off-spinners Nahidul Islam and Mahedi Hasan also picked a couple of wickets each for South Zone. Meanwhile, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Walton Central Zone ended the second day on 223 for nine, still 22 runs behind Islami Bank East Zone's first-innings total of 245.

Central Zone, however, were left reeling at 32 for five at one stage as East Zone pacers Anamul Haque and Asaduzzaman Payel removed the top five batters.  But a 152-run sixth-wicket stand between Taibur Parvez and Jaker Ali helped Central Zone stage a brilliant comeback.

Jaker, however, would still be disappointed as he missed out his maiden first-class hundred by just eight runs. He was trapped leg-before by left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam after scoring 92 off 180 balls, smashing eleven fours and three sixes, while Taibur departed after scoring 76.

Payel picked up three wickets while Anamul, Nayeem Hasan, and Tanvir bagged two wickets each for East Zone.