Holders Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) North Zone brightened their chance to retain the league title with a convincing innings and 28-run victory over Islami Bank East Zone on the 3rd day of the four-day 5th round match of the 6th Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Thursday.
After the match, BCB North Zone dominated the league table comfortably securing 58 points while Islami Bank East Zone followed them distantly with 40 points from five matches each and Prime Bank South Zone bagged 38 and Walton Central Zone 29 points playing four matches. In the remaining 6th round matches scheduled for April 24-27, BCB North Zone will play Prime Bank South Zone at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna while Islami Bank East Zone will face Walton Central Zone at Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi. In the 5th round match, Islami Bank East Zone resumed the first innings on Thursday morning with their overnight collection of 110 for no loss in 27 overs replying to North Zone’s first innings mammoth total of 415 runs. But they were miserably all out for 217 runs in 63.2 overs to be the victim of follow on due to lower order collapse.
Earlier, two overnight batsmen Liton Kumar Das (52) and Tasamul Haque (49) made a good foundation of East Zone innings contributing 122 runs in 32.2 overs in the opening stand, but they were bundled out cheaply adding only 95 more runs with the remaining nine wickets playing only 31 overs.
Opener Liton Kumar Das contributed 69 runs off 113 balls featuring six fours and two sixes while another opener Tasamul Haque completed a half century scoring 56 runs off 106 balls hitting seven boundaries.
Apart from the opening duo, captain-cum-one down batsman Mominul Haque made 37-ball 21 runs with three fours, lower order Mohammad Saifuddin scored 39-ball 20 runs, including a boundary, national coloured all-rounder Sohag Gazi contributed 15-ball 13 runs with three fours and former national skipper Mohammad Ashraful scored 35-ball 11 runs with boundary.
Shariful Islam and Yeasir Arafat made the major damage to the East Zone first innings grabbing four wickets each conceding 33 and 39 runs respectively.
Victim of follow-on, Islami Bank East Zone opened the 2nd innings and again were dismissed cheaply for 170 runs in 38.2 overs to concede the humiliating innings defeat.
Among the East Zone batsmen, number nine Sohag Gazi fought hard for their existence contributing 50 runs off just 38 balls featuring seven fours and one six, followed by national pacer Mohammad Saifuddin (32), two down Afif Hossain (16), lower order Jaker Ali (16) and opener Tasamul Haque (15).
Yeasin Arafat, national pacer Shafiul Islam and Shariful Islam claimed three wickets each conceding 16, 21 and 28 runs respectively. Later, Yeasin Arafat was adjudged man of the match.
Brief Score: BCB North Zone 1st innings: 415 all out in 122.4 overs; Jahurul Islam 113, Ariful Haque 101, Nazmul Hossain Shanto 73, Mizanur Rahman 46, Sohag Gazi 4/91, Mohammad Ashraful 2/63.
Islami Bank East Zone 1st innings: 217 all out in 63.2 overs: (overnight 110 for no loss in 27 overs) Liton Kumar Das 69, Tasamul Haque 56, Mominul Haque 21, Mohammad Saifuddin 20, Sohag Gazi 13, Mohammad Ashraful 11, Shariful Islam 4/33 and Yeasin Arafat 3/39.
2nd innings: 170 all out in 38.2 overs; Shohag Gazi 50, Mohammad Saifuddin 32, Afif Hossain 16, Jaker Ali 16, Tasamul Haque 15, Yeasin Arafat 3/16, Shariful Islam 3/21 and Shafiul Islam 3/28.
