DPL encounters revive excitement
There was a dramatic turnaround, last over finishes and an underdog gunned down the tournament favourites, as the fourth round of the Dhaka Premier League T20 competition finally oozed with life yesterday.
Competitive displays aside, there will be a major question mark over the bizarre manner in which Old DOHS Cricket Club, once again, failed to cross the finishing line against Brothers Union at BKSP-4 ground. While needed 13 runs off the last two overs with nine wickets in hand, chasing a modest target of 140, DOHS eventually fell three runs short of victory.
Interestingly, batsman Pritom Kumar left the final delivery of the innings expecting a wide when DOHS required two runs to tie and three to win, but the umpire remained unmoved as Brothers won in the end against the odds. Previously, similar baffling display from DOHS against Abahani Limited raised many eyebrows as well, where they ended up on 113 for 3 in 20 overs, in reply to a target of 136 runs.
But there was no shortage of desire from Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity who stunned Mushfiqur Rahim's Abahani Limited and won by eight runs at BKSP-3 ground to register their second win in four games.
Khelaghar posted 164 for 6 riding on the young and inexperienced opener Imtiaz Hossain's 46-ball 66 run knock where Abahani in reply ended up on 156 for 5, and faced their first defeat in four games.
Needing 47 runs off the last five overs with two national players Mosaddek Hossain and Afif Hossain at the crease who are known for their finishing abilities, the duo failed to see off the game despite having had batted till the end. Off spinner Rony Chowdhury, who made his T20 debut for Khelaghar yesterday, picked up two early wickets, one of opener Munim Shahriar (0) and the other was the prized wicket of skipper Mushfiqur who departed after scoring eight.
Naim Sheikh and Najmul Hossain Shanto attempted to repair but both the batsman got dismissed on 49 runs as Khelaghar spiritedly kept building pressure and eventually sealed an impressive win. Pacer Khaled Ahmed also bagged two wickets while Rafsan Al Mahmud scalped one for Khelaghar.
On the day Abahani faced their first defeat, their archrival Mohammedan Sporting Club also suffered the same as they were handed a 16 run defeat by Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
Skipper Nurul Hasan's unbeaten 66 run knock helped Sheikh Jamal to post a challenging total of 161 for 5 where Mohammedan's reply was restricted to 145 for 8 after 20 overs. On the contrary, Mohammedan's skipper Shakib Al Hasan, despite bowling brilliantly with the figures of two for twelve from his four overs, continued his poor form with the bat and was bowled by off spinner Enamul Hasan after scoring just two from nine balls.
Mohammedan kept losing wickets at regular intervals, where Nadif Chowdhury's 43-ball 57 could not help his side avoid their first defeat in four games. Enamul's three for 13 from three overs and Ziaur Rahman's two wickets contributed to Mohammedan's demise.
Elsewhere, Gazi Group led by Mahmudullah Riyad's all round performance sealed their second win in four matches beating Legends of Rupganj by seven wickets, chasing a modest target of 133.
Mohammad Mithun's unbeaten fifty, backed by Rubel Hossain's four-wicket haul helped Prime Bank to clinch a convincing 72 run win over Partex Sporting Club.
Prime Doleshwar successfully chased down the target of 163 runs set by Shinepukur Cricket Club, courtesy of a blistering fifty from Saif Hasan, with four wickets and two balls to spare. With seven points in four games, Doleshwar sits at the top of the points table.
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