Youngsters shine amid trickery

One reported ploy was successful but another one was marred by young off-spinner Al-Amin's five-wicket haul after Abdul Mazid's blitzkrieg hundred as Victoria Sporting Club dashed Gazi Group Cricketers hopes of reaching the Super League of the Dhaka Premier League yesterday. The outcome in the rain-curtailed match at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah however delighted Prime Bank Sporting Club, who qualified on the basis of a better head-to-head record against Kalabagan Krira Chakra, most as Gazi's defeat made them the last of the 12-team table to qualify for the six-team Super League.

It was the story of two young players in Al-Amin and Mazid, whose second consecutive hundred helped Victoria finish on top in the points table on the last day of the first phase but the unedifying machinations behind the scenes drew attention away from the cricket.

The match between Brothers Union and Legends of Rupganj at BKSP was washed out following rain, ensuring that the former get a valuable point that relieves them of relegation worries while spoiling Rupganj's chance to top the table as they finished fourth. But the question remains about why the wicket was wet on Wednesday, the day the game was originally supposed to take place, to force the umpires to shift the date.

At Fatullah, despite rain in the morning the match took place after being reduced to 33 overs a side after a three-hour-and-15-minute delay. This of course begs the question of why the organisers were not willing to play the previous day -- when the match was originally scheduled – which started with sunshine. Many believe that the schedule was changed so that Gazi could bring in their foreign player.

Puneet Bisht, the 29-year old right-handed batsman from Delhi, arrived on Wednesday and made an immediate impact, but his 79-ball 86 that contained 12 boundaries was not good enough for Gazi Group to overtake Victoria's 219 runs. 

Mahbub Alam initiated the early collapse in Gazi's innings but it was the 22-year-old Al-Amin who was the chief destroyer, taking five wickets in four overs including the one of Bisht.

Opener Shamsur Rahman was another notable scorer and also added 95 runs with Bisht for the third wicket after the dismissals of Anamul Haque and Mahedi Hasan. The partnership was broken when Shamsur was dismissed by left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo in the 20th over for a 52-ball 42 to pave the way for wickets at regular intervals.

Earlier, Victoria lost opener Fazle Mahmud in the third over after the match was reduced to 33 overs a side.

But Mazid and Mominul Haque added 122 runs for the second wicket. Mominul struck 10 fours in his 66-ball 73 before he was caught behind off Shamsur Rahman in the 22nd over.

Mazid accelerated through eight fours and two sixes and reached his century from 91 balls in the penultimate over. Mohammad Sharif claimed three wickets while Delwar Hossain took two.

SCORES IN BRIEF 
VICTORIA SC: 219 for 7 in 33 overs (Mazid 100, Mominul 73, Al-Amin 24; Delwar 2-36, Sharif 3-19)
GAZI GROUP: 191 all out in 30.1 overs (Shamsur 42, Bisht 86; Mahbub 3-37, Al-Amin 5-27)
Result: Victoria Sporting Club won by 28 runs.