Abahani Limited’s on-field struggles continued on Tuesday, as the storied club lost to Sheikh Jamal DC by 28 runs in Mirpur to fall into the bottom three of the Dhaka Premier League.
The team’s poor form stands in stark contrast to the club’s off-field success, which has seen more than dozen Abahani-based orgainsers become councillors for the forthcoming election of the Bangladesh Cricket Board.
At least half-a-dozen Abahani councillors are set to be a director including its direct representative Nazmul Hasan, who is all but confirmed as the first elected BCB president following the withdrawal of Saber Hossain Chowdhury, who is ironically also an Abahani director.
However, the club continues to be embarrassed on the playing field. With just one win in five matches, Abahani are only ahead of winless Cricket Coaching School and Khelaghar SKS in their surprising flirtation with the relegation zone.
Sheikh Jamal posted 282/9 in their 50 overs after being sent in to bat by Abahani at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. Opener Jahirul Islam scored 60 from 77 balls and put on an 89-run second-wicket partnership with Sri Lankan Dilshan Munaweera to set up the innings.
Zimbabwe’s Elton Chigumbura came in at number six and watched as wickets tumbled at the other end to stifle the once-promising Sheikh Jamal innings. Chigumbura rescued the effort through a blistering tenth-wicket partnership with Shafiul Islam, who added just one of the 50 runs they put on in under three overs.
Before the late onslaught, Abahani’s Al-Amin was largely responsible for the collapse, taking three of the last four wickets en route to figures of 4/38. Shamsul Alam Babu and Mosaddek Hossain also picked up two wickets each.
Abahani’s reply began promisingly enough, with opener Shahriar Nafees
(48) and Tharanga Paranavitana (56) putting together a 100-run second wicket partnership before the former fell to man-of-the-match Abul Bashar (4/32) in the 20th over with the score at 117.
The scoring rate then dropped, but Abahani were still in with a chance to chase the target down, even after Tharanga fell to Bashar in the 30th over to take the score to 155/4.
The turning point came when Bashar ran out Thilina Kandamby for 21, breaking his 54-run partnership with Mosaddek (43) and triggering the collapse with the first of three wickets to fall within four overs.
Shafiul took three wickets for Sheikh Jamal, who moved onto eight points to put them in a tie with Prime Doleshwar and Brothers Union at the top of the table.
BRIEF SCORES
Sheikh Jamal DC v Abahani Limited
Sheikh Jamal DC 282-9 in 50 overs (E Chigumbura 69*, J Islam 60, D Munaweera 42; Al Amin 4-38, M Hossain 2-41) v Abahani Limited 254-10 in 47.5 overs (T Paranavitana 56, S Nafees 48, M Hossain 43; A Bashar 4-32, S Islam 3-56).
Result: Sheikh Jamal won by 28 runs
Man of the match: Abul Bashar (SJDC)
-With New Age input
