Skipper Tamim Iqbal led from the front with a magnificent 142 runs and equally well supported by Saqlain Sajib’s 7 wickets for 58 as Abahani Limited stormed to the top of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League (DCL) table with an overwhelming 125 runs win against Prime Bank Cricket Club in the final super league match held on Wednesday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium at Mirpur.
However, Abahani will not be able to celebrate the joy of winning the title as their disputed match against Prime Doleshwar is yet to be completed. If Abahani loses that tie against Prime Doleshwar then both teams will finish in the points table with 22 points. Then the run rate will come into the account to decide the championship.
Here Abahani has an advantage as they are having a better run rate and Prime Doleshwar will have to win that controversial match by a very big margin to lift the title. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is still yet to decide whether the unfinished match will start from the beginning or from where it was called off.
Chasing a massive target of 317 runs set by Abahani Limited, Prime Bank Cricket Club showed early promise as their two openers – Mehedi Maruf (69 off 82, 5×4, 6×3) and Unmukt Chand’s (23) put on 72-runs opening stand, but the other batsmen failed to take advantage of their positive start as wickets
fell in regular intervals and finally they were bundle all out for 201 in 37.2 overs.
However, skipper Shuvagata Hom offered some resistance with a breezy 51 run but that merely helped them from a total embarrassment. He hammered four boundaries and three over boundaries in his brief 33-ball stay on the crease.
Left arm spinner Saqllain Sajib, the wrecker in-chief weaved his web to snare seven Prime Bank scalps giving away 58 runs. He was well supported by pacer Taskin Ahmed who bagged two wickets conceding 45 runs.
Earlier, Abahani Limited, rode on Tamim Iqbal’s brillant ton and Mosadeek Hossain’s blistering half century, piled up a massive total of 316 for 7 from their allotted 50 overs, after their team won the important toss and decided to bat first.
The Southpaw had to contend with tight bowling spells in the initial stages. However, the 4th wicket partnership of 173 in 22.1 overs took the game away from Prime Bank. The Chittagong lad cracked his second century in the ongoing league after his 105 not out against Cricket CS on June 6, and left the field after he had 142 runs to his name. He took 132 balls, laced with 11 fours and four sixes to the delight of his teammates. Tamim has so far amassed 714 runs with two centuries and four half century with an average of 47.60 in the ongoing league.
All rounder Mosaddek Hossain joined his captain and continued his prolific from where he left off in the previous match. He hammered 78 runs from 74 balls and his entertaining knock studded three fours and five towering sixer.
Even Abul Hasan cashed in on loose bowling late in the innings and used the long handle extensively with a cameo 26 off 10 balls.
Unmukt Chand was the most successful bowler for his side, and took three wickets in nine overs. Nazmul Islam was more economical in his spells, and captured two wickets for 48 runs.
Abahani skipper Tamim Iqbal was named the player of the match for his impressive batting performance.
