MOHAMMEDAN V INDIRA ROAD
Mohammedan, last league's runners-up, routed Indira Road by 163 runs.

A significant partnership between Kenyan star Steve Tikolo and youngster Wasel Uddin helped Mohammedan to 285-9 in the allotted 50 overs, the highest total so far in the league, after they were put in at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium.

Indira Road were never going to challenge that kind of target and were promptly bundled out for 122. The Mohammedan pacers led by the impressive Mashrafee bin-Mortuza did the damage early on before champion left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique mopped up the tail taking 4-26 from 9.2 overs. Mohammad Kalim played a lone hand with 55.

Mohammedan however, did not have things going there way in the morning when Indira Road paceman Mahbubul Alam Robin took three early wickets to reduce them to 48-3 by the 16th over. Bangladesh opener Nafees Iqbal (9 off 51 balls) failed for the second match on the trot while the much anticipated return of skipper Habibul Bashar, who played his first game for a month after recovering from a toe injury, lasted eight balls before he was caught behind. Parvez Ahmed (19 off 29 balls) became the third catch for wicketkeeper Sagir Hossain Pavel in the space of 12 runs.

But Tikolo, who was dropped on naught by Nahidul Haque at second slip off Robin, made Indira Road pay. He went on to make 96 off 103 balls and despite losing Minhajul Abedin with the total on 94, found in Wasel (66 off 64 balls) a man possessed.

The two took the game away with a blazing fifth wicket stand 147 in 20 overs.

Tikolo completed his 50 in 65 balls with an exquisite boundary through midwicket but the showstopper was Wasel who matched the classy Kenyan shot for shot.

Wasel, who joined Mohamme-dan from Dhanmondi this season raced to his fifty in just 48 deliveries.

Man-of-the-match Tikolo, who hit nine fours and two sixes, missed a deserved hundred for four runs when he was brilliantly stumped by Pavel who stayed up to the medium pace of Kalim.

Wasel, having cracked five fours and three sixes, holed out at wide long off in the 49th over but not before helping his side to collect 95 in the last ten overs. The tail also wagged for Mohammedan with Mashrafee and his pace partner Anwar Hossain clubbing three sixes between them. Mashrafee gave an awesome display of his power by sending the ball over hundred yards into the adjacent road of the ground.

ABAHANI-PEGASUS
Having lost their opening match to Bangladesh Biman, Abahani could ill-afford another debacle and had flown in Pakistan batsman Taufeeq Umar before the game.

But it was their bowlers who set up a six-wicket win at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium.

Umar made the highest 36 for Abahani but captain Naimur Rahman, fresh from his 50 against Biman, was adjudged man-of-the-match for his unbeaten 32 off 34 balls that took Abahani past Young Pegusus' 176 with more than five overs to spare.

Earlier, Pegasus had limped to 176-9 after being put in. One-down Forhad Reza's 43 and skipper Rezwanul Islam's 33 were the only notable scores.

In a break to this league's trend, spinners dominated the show for Abahani with offie Ali Arman picking up 3-36 from ten overs and Test left-armer Manzarul Islam taking 2-33 from seven overs.

BROTHERS-UTTARA
Their national players in their top-order continued to fail but Brothers Union, who lost to Young Pegasus in their opener, still pulled off a 95-run victory against Uttara at the BKSP ground in Savar.

After electing to bat, Brothers managed to score 196 before being booked with one over to spare. Bangladesh opener Javed Omar settled for a 24-ball nine while Aftab made just one. But experienced Mustadir Litu and Nasirul Alam each scored 21 while veteran opener Jahangir Alam anchored during a sedate 33 off 79 balls to push the innings along. Wicket-keeper Anwar Hossain's 31 (39 balls) towards the end took Brothers to some sort of respectability.

Uttara never looked comfortable against Brothers' pace trio of Tapash Baishya, Ziaur Rahman and former Indian international Thiru Kumaran who shared eight wickets between them.