League leaders Victoria Sporting club got their Super League campaign off to winning start as they beat holders Prime Bank Sporting Club by 23 runs in the Dhaka Premier League match at Fatullah on Sunday.
In another match of the day, Mohammedan Sporting Club showed miserable batting performance that allowed Legends of Rupganj win the match by massive 104 runs at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
The rain-affected match at Fatullah was reduced to 40-over per side and Victoria posted 272-6 before their bowlers restricted Prime to 249-8.
Victoria opener Abdul Mazid, who scored two centuries in their last two matches, kept his rich vein of form as he made highest 72 runs for his side that made him the highest run getter in the league so far.
Mazid struck 10 fours and a six in his 68-ball innings.
The 25-year old right-handed batsman, who took his tally over 600 runs, got good support from Mominul Haque.
Mominul scored 55 runs of 47 balls with four sixes and as many boundaries and added 83 runs with Mazid in the second wicket stand.
On the solid platform Nadif Chowdhury made run-a-ball 41 and Sri Lankan Chaturanga de Silva added some late impetus by scoring 39 off just 23 balls that took the innings run rate close to seven.
In reply, Prime openers Mehedi Maruf (55) and Shanaj Ahmed (13) made a quick-fire opening stand of 55 runs off just 44 balls but Prime lacked both big innings and partnerships from their batsmen.
Wicket-keeper batsman Nurul Hasan made 52 before he was run out and added 50 runs with their icon batsman Sabbir Rahman, who scored 27 off 28 balls. But wicket in regular intervals resulted the innings ended from 23 runs short of the opponents’ score.
With win Victoria consolidated their top position with 17 points from 12 games and Prime’s hope of defending the title got bleaker as they have 12 points from same number of outings.
At the SNBS, soggy outfield reduced the match to 45-over a side and Rupganj made 232-8 before MSC were bundled out for 128 in 31.5 overs.
Chasing the score Mohammedan were reduced to 47-3 before Bangladesh Test team skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (34) and opener Hamidul Islam (37) added 43 runs in the fourth wicket stand.
But MSC lost six wickets for just 38 runs since the dismissal of Hamidul and with Naeem Islam jnr absent hurt their innings came to an end with a miserable defeat.
Alauddin Babu, Pawan Negi and Nahidul Islam got two wickets each for Rupganj.
Earlier in the day Mohammad Mithun (59) and Soumya Sarker (40) made an 89-run opening stand that allowed the other batsmen to get some small innings to take the total past 200 runs.
With the win Rupganj are now in the second position with 16 points while MSC slipped to third with 14 points.
Brief Scores
Victoria SC 272-6 in 40 overs (Mazid 72, Mominul 55;Azim 2-65) v Prime Bank 249-8 in 40 overs (Mehedi 55, Nurul 52; Mahbub 2-37)
Result: Victoria SC won by 23 runs.
Man of the match: Abdul Mazid (Victoria Sporting Club)
***
Legends of Ruphganj 232-8 in 45 overs (Mithun 59, Soumya 40; Perera 2-35) v Mohammedan 128 in 31.5 overs (Hamidul 37, Mushfiq 34; Nahidul 2-7, Babu 2-22)
Result: Rupganj won by 104 runs
Man of the match : Mohammad Mithun (Legends of Rupganj)
-With New Age input
