It was a day dominated by the bowlers, with only three batters managing to reach fifty.
Mominul Haque looked well on his way to breaking his nearly seven-year-long century drought in List A cricket. A stunning six over cover took him to 92, raising hopes for a long-awaited ton. But on the very next ball, the experienced left-hander was bowled after the ball deflected off his pad. Though Mominul missed his hundred, Abahani Limited secured a comfortable victory.
On the first day of the fifth round of the Dhaka Premier League, no batsman managed to score a century. Apart from Mominul, only Towhid Hridoy and Mohammad Mithun reached the fifty mark.
Among the bowlers, Shariful Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz took four wickets each, while Taskin Ahmed, Arafat Sunny, and Nahidul Islam also bowled impressively.
Abahani’s Fourth Straight Win Keeps Them on Top
Abahani Limited claimed their fourth consecutive victory with an 80-run win over Brothers Union at BKSP No. 3 Ground. Chasing a target of 311, Brothers Union could only manage 230/7.
After losing their opening match to newcomers Gulshan Cricket Club, Abahani bounced back with four straight wins, climbing to the top of the points table. In contrast, Brothers Union has only one win from five matches.
Mominul was instrumental in Abahani’s big total, scoring 92 off 74 balls with 7 fours and 4 sixes. Since his last List A century in 2018, he has struggled to reach three figures, and this time, he fell just 8 runs short.
Despite missing out on a hundred, Mominul laid the foundation for Abahani’s big total. The defending champions lost three early wickets in the powerplay after being put in to bat.
Mominul then formed a crucial 143-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Mohammad Mithun, who scored 71 off 86 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes. Later, contributions from Mosaddek Hossain, Mahfuzur Rahman Rabbi, and Rakibul Hasan helped Abahani cross the 300-mark.
Brothers Union never looked in contention to chase down the target. Their captain, Maishukur Rahman, top-scored with 84 off 78 balls, hitting 3 fours and 4 sixes, which only reduced the margin of defeat. Mizanur Rahman (45) and Alok Kapali (33) also chipped in with decent knocks.
Match Summary:
- Abahani Limited: 310/8 in 50 overs (Jisan 27, Parvez 5, Shanto 12, Mithun 71, Mominul 92, Meherob 11, Mosaddek 23, Mahfuzur 28*, Rakibul 22, Enamul 4*; Al Amin 2/41, Manik 1/66, Sohag 1/53, Iftikhar 0/67, Maishukur 0/20, Kapali 1/50, Aich 1/10)
- Brothers Union: 230/7 in 50 overs (Mahfizul 8, Imtiaz 20, Mizanur 45, Aich 16, Maishukur 84, Kapali 33, Zahiduzzaman 13, Iftikhar 1*, Manik 6*; Nahid 1/21, Rakibul 1/44, Mosaddek 2/12, Mominul 0/41, Mahfuzur 1/57, Enamul 0/23, Meherob 2/31)
Result: Abahani Limited won by 80 runs.
Man of the Match: Mominul Haque.
Hridoy’s Fifty & Miraz’s 4 Wickets Seal Mohammedan’s Win
At Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mohammedan Sporting Club dominated Legends of Rupganj, securing a 94-run victory. Chasing 254, Rupganj collapsed for just 159, marking their second defeat in five matches.
Batting first, Mohammedan had a steady start from Tamim Iqbal and Rony Talukdar. However, neither could convert their starts, with Tamim scoring 28 off 25 balls and Rony making 36. Coming in at No. 3, Mahidul Islam added 42 off 67 balls.
The standout batting performance came from Towhid Hridoy, who played the only fifty-plus innings of the match. His 66 off 76 balls, featuring 3 fours and 2 sixes, helped Mohammedan reach 253.
For Rupganj, left-arm pacer Shariful Islam was the pick of the bowlers, grabbing 4 wickets.
Rupganj’s chase never gained momentum, as they lost wickets at regular intervals. They were reduced to 57/6 early, leaving no chance of a comeback. Jaker Ali and Sheikh Mehedi Hasan put up a 58-run stand for the seventh wicket, with Jaker scoring 25 and Mehedi making 43.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz was the star performer with the ball, taking 4 wickets for 38 runs in 9.2 overs, including 3 maidens. His all-round contribution (25 runs with the bat) earned him the Man of the Match award. Taskin Ahmed also impressed on his season debut, picking up 3 wickets.
Match Summary:
- Mohammedan Sporting Club: 253 in 50 overs (Tamim 28, Rony 36, Mahidul 42, Hridoy 66, Mushfiq 1, Ariful 15, Miraz 25, Saif 19*, Abu Haider 1, Taskin 3, Taijul 2*; Shariful 4/54, Tanzim 2/70, Mehedi 1/40, Tanvir 0/33, Rizwan 1/16, Saif 0/9, Soumya 1/27)
- Legends of Rupganj: 159 in 37.2 overs (Tanzid 11, Saif 11, Soumya 0, Rizwan 11, Afif 14, Jaker 25, Akbar 4, Mehedi 43, Tanzim 11, Tanvir 9*, Shariful 14; Taskin 3/43, Miraz 4/38, Abu Haider 0/30, Taijul 1/40, Saif 2/15)
Result: Mohammedan Sporting Club won by 94 runs.
Man of the Match: Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
Gazi Group Secure Fourth Straight Win
At BKSP No. 4, Gazi Group Cricket Club crushed Prime Bank Cricket Club by 94 runs. Defending a modest 183, Gazi Group bowled out Prime Bank for just 89 runs.
After their record-breaking 422-run total earlier in the tournament, Prime Bank suffered back-to-back collapses, failing to cross even 250 in their last two games. This was their third loss in five matches, while Gazi Group secured their fourth consecutive win.
In a low-scoring match, no batsman reached fifty. Anamul Haque top-scored with 48 off 44 balls, while Aminul Islam’s 35 helped Gazi Group post a fighting total.
Chasing 184, Prime Bank lost wickets from the very first ball. Their biggest contribution came from No. 8 batter Rishad Hossain, who made 21. Abu Hashim starred with the ball, taking 3 wickets for just 12 runs.
Match Summary:
- Gazi Group Cricket Club: 183 in 43.4 overs (Anamul 48, Aminul 35, Saklain 24; Nahidul 3/46, Arafat 3/22, Rishad 2/23)
- Prime Bank Cricket Club: 89 in 23.2 overs (Rishad 21; Hashim 3/12, Parvez 2/17, Leon 2/38)
Result: Gazi Group Cricket Club won by 94 runs.
Man of the Match: Abu Hashim.
