BD News Today: 04/24/04

[chinaman]

Big guns win on rain-marred day


Heavyweights Bashundhara and GrameenPhone earned full points in rain-interrupted matches of the Corporate Cricket League on Friday. The other scheduled match of the day between Bangladesh Biman and Gazi Tanks was washed out and will be held today. Biman was batting on 71 for 2 before the game was called off.

Faisal in dauntless form

Bashundhara (112/6) beat Ispahani (102) by 4 wickets (D/L method)

Newly called-up national player Faisal Hossain continued his good form in the corporate league as he anchored his side to victory after some dismal performances from his highly-rated team-mates. Ispahani batted first and reached 72 for four in 20.4 overs till the heaven’s gates opened. As play resumed, the match was then turned into a 26 over-a-side and Ispahani folded their innings in 25.5 overs for only 102 runs.

Bashundhara were then handed a 112-run winning target according to the Duckworth-Lewis system which they achieved with four wickets and 2.5 overs to spare. Faisal scored an unbeaten 35 off 44 balls with three fours as well as one through cover which brought victory for Bashundhara. He earlier hit an unbeaten 61 in the last match.

Meanwhile, Faisal’s illustrious team-mates had a drab day as Al Shahriar and Naimur Rahman failed to open their accounts while Akram Khan and Enamul Huq were run out to some superb fielding by the Ispahani youngsters. Akram was run out to a direct throw from wide mid-off by Arif while Enamul was a victim of another direct throw, from deep cover, by Yasir Arafat when he was batting on only seven.

Earlier, the Ispahani innings lost its way as left-arm spinner Enamul captured four wickets for just 12 runs. Mahbubul Karim scored an attacking 53 off 44 balls decorated with eight boundaries. All other Ispahani batsmen, including skipper Minhajul Abedin, failed to reach double figures.

Easy pickings for GrameenPhone

GrameenPhone (92/1) beat BADC (79/5) by nine wickets (D/L method)

BADC, comprised mainly of first division players, was no match for the star-studded GrameenPhone team in the 27-over-a-side rain-marred game. BADC on choosing to bat first managed only 74 for five as GrameenPhone reached their winning target of 92 runs losing only one wicket. National all-rounder Khaled Mahmud took two wickets conceding only 10 runs for Grameen.

Later, Anisul Hakim and Shahriar Hossain put on 79 runs for the first wicket with Anisul scoring 35 off 43 balls while national opener Shahriar Hossain remained not out on 46 off 59 balls as Grameen reached their winning target in only 18.5 overs.

NewAge >>

[chinaman]

The visiting Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Under-16 Development Squad won the one-day competition in Siliguri, India yesterday when they handed Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) a massive 95-run defeat in the final.

The BCB team thrived on half-centuries by Mehdi Hasan and Mushfiq Rahman to score 203-7 in 30 overs after being sent in to bat. Mehdi made a run-a-ball 60 while captain Mushfiq hammered 61 off just 24 balls.

In reply, CAB were bundled out for 108 in 29.1 overs. Shuvo claimed three wickets conceding seven runs in 4.1 overs while Sumon captured two for 15 in four overs. Earlier rain forced the final to be reduced to a 30-over-a-side affair.

Daily Star >>