Two national team discards lit up the 4-day version of the 12th National Cricket League as the cricketing season kicked off in three different venues around the country. Mohammad Ashraful and Nazimuddin — both former national team players and currently in as stand-bys for the one day series against New Zealand — played two exquisite knocks for Dhaka and Chittagong respectively.
Ashraful, who had almost been an everpresent force in the Tigers’ batting line up, had recently been dropped after a long run of poor form. He could not have a better occasion to crack a hundred than on the eve of the national team’s one-day series with New Zealand. , his national team discard slammed an exquisite hundred on the opening day of the 4-day match of the 12th National Cricket League as the cricketing season kicked off in three different venues around the country.
The diminutive Dhaka batsman scored 113 runs off 143 balls that featured 17 boundaries to help his side reach a commendable position on 377 for five at the stumps on day one in their match against Khulna at the Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi yesterday.
Having lost two openers cheaply, Ashraful and another right-hander Shamsur Rahman steadied the innings with a mixture of aggression and caution. Ashraful picked up his fifty in just 53 balls and weathered the fall of Shamsur for 48 and Mehrab Hossain for naught. The diminutive batsman got to his hundred in 129 balls and blasted a few more boundaries before holding out to nazim uddin for 113 off the bowling of Nazmus Sadat who had earlier got rid of Shamsur.
The following two batsmen, Shuvogata Chowdhury (81 not out) and Anamul Haque (82 not out) ensured Dhaka ended the day on a position of strength.
Another national discard team Nazimuddin, who like Ashraful features in the stand-by list for the current ODI series against New Zealand, missed a ton by 9 runs as his side Chittagong got bundled out for 202 in 56.3 overs against Barisal at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra.
Nazimuddin’s 91-run knock came off 128 balls and featured 10 boundaries and a six. Clsoing on a well-deserved hundred, Nazimuddin fell to Barisal fastman Arafat Salauddin, caught by Shafaq Al Jabir. Nazimuddin’s knock deserves some special praise since he almost single-handedly fought against his opponents. The next best score of 30 came from another dashing batsman Aftab Ahmed.
Shafaq was the most successful batsman with four 49 while Salauddin’s three wickets cost him 43 runs.
In reply, Barisal reached 55 losing both openers as the stumps were drawn for the first day.
The other match of the day between champions Rajshahi and dark horse Sylhet at the S Huda Stadium in Jessore was marred wet outfield. Rajshahi scored 24 for no loss in fifteen overs that was played on the day.
SCORES IN BRIEF
Dhaka v Khulna
DHAKA: 1st innings 377 for 5 (Shamsur 48, Ashraful 113, Shuvogata 81 not out, Anamul 82 not out; nazmus 2-68)
Chittagong v Barisal
CHITTAGONG: 1st innings 202 all out (Nazimuddin 91, Aftab 31; Shafaq 4-49, Arafat 3-43)
BARISAL: 55 for 2 ( Fazle Rabbi 27, Nazmul Islam 1-5)
Rajshahi v Sylhet
RAJSHAHI: 1st innings 24 for no loss ( Masud 8 not out, Mizanur 8 not out)
