Sports Reporter :
Domestic cricket powerhouse Abahani Ltd secured their third consecutive Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier League title, beating Prime Bank Cricket Club by eight runs in the virtual title decider at Sher-E-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Saturday.
The league, which was postponed last year due to Covid-19 pandemic was held in T20 format instead of traditional 50-over format as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) wanted to complete the league as soon as possible and also give the players a chance to hone the T20 skill, considering the upcoming T20 World Cup which will be held later this year.
This was also Abahani’s fourth title in the last five years.
Abahani Limited indeed won the most coveted league of the country for the record 21st time since its inauguration in 1974-75 season.
With both Prime Bank and Abahani Limited accumulating 22 points in the last 15 matches, the game between them in the last round of the DPL turned out to be title deciding one and the Dhanmondi outfit held their nerve in the crucial moment to claim the title.
Abahani won the toss, and elected to bat first, but were halted by the Prime Bank bowlers, as they had lost three wickets for only 31 runs in 4.1 overs, but the skipper Mosaddek Hossain and Najmul Hossain Shanto formed a timely partnership, in which they had added 70 runs, in which, Mosaddek scored 40, and Shanto scored the innings highest 45 runs from 40 deliveries.
The all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin came down later to have a pinch-hitting knock, as he scored 21 from 13 runs, with two huge sixes, which helped Abahani to post a competitive 150/7 in the respective 20 overs.
Rubel Hossain was the most successful bowler for Prime Bank with 2-22 while Mustafizur Rahman, Nahidul Islam, Shoriful Islam and Rubel Mea picked up one wicket apiece.
Trying to chase the target, Prime Bank also had some early stumbles, as despite Rubel Mia sticking at the wicket, Prime Bank kept losing wickets on a regular basis, as they had lost five wickets for just 66 runs on the board, and the situation intensified more, as Rubel Mia also departed for 41 runs from 43 deliveries, as it came down to Alok Kapali to play a scintillating knock to win Prime Bank yet another match.
Kapali had to score 53 runs from just 27 deliveries, as he played an awesome knock to pull Prime Bank to a position, in which they had to score 16 runs in the last over, but Kapali’s 34* (17) went in vain to Shohidul Islam’s magnificent last over, as Abahani stopped their rival for just 142/9 in 20 overs.
Mohammad Saifuddin’s bowling figure of 4/36 in four overs was the main catalyst behind the winning performance of Abahani, as he was declared the player of the match. Saifuddin was a bit costly though in his last over, as he once gave away only 16 runs in three overs while capturing four wickets.
Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club ended as third with 21 points.
The fourth and fifth place will be decided after the match between Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Gazi Group Cricketers, who will face-off in the last game of the league tonight. Mohammedan Sporting Club finished sixth with 15 points.
