BSS, Dhaka :
Captain Shuvagata Hom hit centuries in both innings as Walton Central Zone lifted the title of 9th Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL), edging BCB South Zone past by four wickets at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
Both of Shuvagata’s centuries came at a crucial moment when his side was struggling to keep them in the race.
He struck 116 in the first innings and followed it up with an unbeaten 114 in the second innings as Central Zone reached 221-6 after they were set for a 218-target to win the trophy.
This was the third time Central Zone lifted the trophy, having won the title in the first and fourth edition of the country’s premier first class cricket league. South Zone fought hard for their fourth straight title but fell agonizingly short, vastly due to the brilliance of Shuvagata.
Resuming the day on 26-3 and needing 192 more runs to win the trophy, Shuvagata single-handedly drove the side as South Zone looked in utter control of the game.
Mehedi Hasan Rana removed Soumya Sarkar in the third over of the day to worsen the situation of Central Zone. South Zone then closed in on a victory when Rana and Kamrul Rabbi took the wicket of Taibur for 3 and Salman Hossain for 37, leaving Central Zone to 6-68.
But they couldn’t close the game as Shuvagata led a memorable fightback. He got an ably support from Jaker Ali and together they took the approach of caution and aggression to make South Zone bowlers disarray.
While Shuvataga took the route of attacking from the words go, Jaker Ali defended all the things coming to him. The approach served them well as they combined for a 153-run for the unbeaten seventh wicket stand to sail the side home.
Shuvagata struck 13 fours and two sixes for his unbeaten 114 off 121 while Jaker Ali played 124 balls for his 41 not out.
Rana and Nasum grabbed two wickets while Farhad Reza and Kamrul Rabbi picked up one wicket apiece. Put into bat first in the five-day final, South Zone amassed 387 in the first innings thanks to an unbeaten 107 from Zakir Hassan.
In reply, Central Zone were reduced to 16-4 before Mohammad Mithun (206)) with a double century and captain Shuvagata Hom (116) with a century led the fight back as they earned 51-run lead, racking up 438.
Rishad Hossain fell for 99 as South Zone were wrapped up for 268 in their second innings, setting a 218-run target for Central Zone to win the title.
