MSC keep top spot after vanquishing rivals

Mohammedan Sporting Club came up trumps in the prize fight with archrivals Abahani Limited as their bowlers set up a thumping eight-wicket victory in the Dhaka Premier League sixth-round match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on May 12. 

The win keeps Mohammedan at the top of the 12-team table with five wins from six matches. Meanwhile, at the BKSP-3 ground in Savar, Victoria Sporting Club defeated Prime Bank Cricket Club by nine runs in a rain-interrupted match and at Fatullah Legends of Rupganj overcame Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club by six wickets.  

Abahani-Mohammedan

Mohammedan bowlers vindicated their captain Mushfiqur Rahim’s decision to field first after he won the toss against Abahani Limited led by Tamim Iqbal at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur today.

Abahani were reduced to 15 for three inside six overs, but handy runs from their middle order and the 8th wicket partnership of 51 allowed them to get to 183 before being bowled out in 48.4 overs. Nazmul Hossain Shanto held the innings together with 42 from 66 balls. He missed out on his third fifty of the ongoing DPL after 72 against Rupganj and 52 against Sheikh Jamal respectively. Taskin contributed with the bat late in the innings with 38.

Subhashis Roy picked up his second best bowling figures of DPL 2016 with three for 34 in 10 overs. He took 3 for 28 against Brothers on April 24, 2016. Habibur Rahman and Naeem Islam jnr grabbed two wickets each.

Mohammedan overtook the total with minimum fuss, taking only 43.5 overs and losing just two wickets. Upul Tharanga anchored the chase with an unbeaten 105-ball 77 that included seven boundaries. He was helped by a 68-ball 42 from opener Ezaz Ahmed, with whom he shared a 78-run second-wicket stand. 

Victoria-Prime Bank

Prime Bank Sporting Club piled up 274 for seven on the back of a solid start and strong finish to their innings after Victoria captain Nadif Chowdhury opted to bowl.

Opener Mehedi Maruf made his highest score in DPL 2016 with 63 from 70 balls. His knock contained nine fours and two sixes. Forties from Nurul Hasan and Taibur Rahman helped Prime Bank’s cause.

For Victoria, Enamul Haque was the pick of the bowlers with two for 31 in ten. 

In reply Victoria opener Sohrawardi Shuvo stroked a classy unbeaten 105 off 118 balls, studded with six fours and two sixes. He was still batting along with Al-Amin, who hit a 90-ball 82 and built a 155-run third-wicket partnership with Shuvo, when rain stopped proceedings. The Duckworth/Lewis calculations had Victoria ahead by nine runs after 41.2 overs, and so when play was called off they were declared the victors. 

Rupganj-Prime Doleshwar

Legends of Rupganj captain Mosharraf Hossain opted to field first after he won the toss against Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club led by Forhad Reza at the Khan Shaheb Ali Stadium. Rupganj bowlers did not disappoint their skipper, and managed breakthroughs at regular intervals to restricted Prime Doleshwar to 216 in 48.2 overs.

Prime DSC’s Sri Lankan recruit came to his side’s rescue with a counter-attacking knock of 89 in only 76 balls. His highest score in DPL 2016 was punctuated with seven fours and a huge six. The second- highest knock in Prime DSC’s innings was Raqibul Hasan’s patient 27.

The six bowlers used by Mosharraf were all among the wickets, with Abu Hider Rony and Nahidul Islam taking two each. 

In reply, Rupganj were restricted to 51 for two by the 12th over with Sanzamul Islam and Nasir Hossain doing the damage, but a captain’s innings from Mosharraf settled the nerves. He hit 81 off 98 balls with seven fours and three sixes, and a couple of half-centuries from Mohammad Mithun and Asif Ahmed drove them home with six wickets and 3.4 overs to spare. 

Scores in Brief

Abahani: 183 all out in 48.4 overs (Nazmul 42, Taskin 38, Subhashis 3-34)

Mohammedan: 185 for 2 in 45.3 overs (Tharanga 77 not out, Ezaz 42; Kumar 1-34)

Result: Mohammedan won by 8 wickets. 

Prime Bank: 274 for 7 (Mehedi 63, Taibur 45, Enamul Haque 2/31)

Victoria: 211 for 2 in 41.2 overs (Shuvo 105 not out; Al-Amin 82 not out; Shuvagata 1-33)

Result: Victoria won by 9 runs (D/L method)

Prime Doleshwar: 216 all out in 48.2 overs (Chamara Silva 89, Raqibul 27, Abu Hider 2-25)

Rupganj: 222 for 4 in 46.2 overs (Mosharraf 81, Mithun 51, Asif 51 not out; Nasir 1-35)

Result: Legends of Rupganj won by 6 wickets