Prime Bank South Zone clinched the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) first class title for the fourth time on Thursday, defeating BCB North Zone by nine wickets.
They achieved the feat on the final day of the last round match at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.
It was South Zone’s second consecutive crown. The side won the BCL title in 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2016-17 seasons.
After the six-round league, Prime Bank South Zone secured 31.88 points with two wins to be the champions. Islami Bank East Zone collected 29.14 points with one win to finish as runners-up. Walton Central Zone, which dominated the league till the 5th round, ended up in the 3rd place with one win and 23.27 points.
BCB North Zone finished at bottom with 18.61 points.
Veteran left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak struck the decisive blows in South Zone’s last round match, grabbing 12 wickets for 144 runs. He was adjudged player-of-the-match.
Razzak took seven wickets in North Zone’s first innings, restricting them to 293 runs in 83.4 overs. Ariful Haque missed a century by two runs. In his 151-ball innings, he hit six fours and three sixes.
He added 135 runs for the 7th wicket stand with Ziaur Rahman, who scored 69 off 103 balls with seven fours and two sixes.
In reply, South Zone came to the match strongly scoring 541 in 125.3 overs, thanks to two centuries by national opener Anamul Haque Bijoy and Al-Amin.
The pair added 176 for the 4th wicket partnership before Al-Amin retired hurt at 110 runs. He hammered 128 off 161 balls with 12 fours and three sixes. Anamul played an entertaining innings of 180 runs off 314 balls, hitting 16 boundaries.
Sunzamul Islam bowled superbly to claim six wickets for 158 runs.
Trailing by 248 runs, North Zone resumed the 2nd innings on Thursday morning and were bowled out for 280 in 82.2 overs giving a small winning target of 33 runs for the South Zone. Razzak took 5 wickets for 75 in 32.2 overs.
Anamul and Fazle completed the very short fourth-innings chase of 33 for South Zone scoring 35 for 1 in 7.1 overs.
On Wednesday, Islami Bank East Zone made a good finish in the 6th and final round of the 7th BCL. They beat league leader Walton Central Zone by 321 runs on the 3rd day at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
The match featured two centuries by captain Mominul Haque and Yasir Ali and a superb eight-wicket haul by teenage national spinner Naeem Hasan of East Zone.
Yasir Ali made 101 runs off 109 balls with 10 fours and two sixes. Mominul hammered exactly 100 off 106 balls hitting nine fours and one six.
Naeem, the 18-year-old right-arm off-break bowler from Chattogram, grabbed his career best eight wickets for 47 runs in 20 overs with nine maidens. He registered another eight-wicket haul in the last edition of National Cricket League for 106 runs.
