Final to be held tomorrow
Dhaka’s 79-run win over Barisal yesterday took them to the final of the National Cricket League’s one-day competition, but their opponents would only be identified after authorities confirmed with the playing conditions.
Dhaka, Rajshahi and Barisal were all equal on ten points but according to the by-laws, “the team which was the winner of the most number of matches played between those equal teams will be placed in the higher position”.
In other words, Barisal qualified to tomorrow’s final through their two wins in their matches against Dhaka and Rajshahi (in both phases). Rajshahi only won one (against Dhaka) while Dhaka won three games, beating Rajshahi once and Barisal twice.
Barisal captain Shahin Hossain later admitted that he had no idea of their qualification and was only told while he was discussing their defeat to Dhaka in a team meeting.
“Someone came and told us that we are through. It was a huge surprise because we thought our run rate (-0.02) would be counted first,” said Shahin.
The net run rate would have come into play if the number of wins between any of the two teams among the three were equal.
RAJSHAHI-KHULNA
Sadly, Rajshahi’s total annihilation of Khulna wasn’t enough in the end. The match at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium was over by 1:00pm with the Rajshahi spinners ruling the roost.
The Rajshahi players were made aware of their fate only in the evening after the calculations were announced by the authorities. According to skipper Khaled Mashud, they were also of the idea that a win would be enough and treated the game like a semifinal.
All ten Khulna wickets fell to spinners with Sohrawardi Shuvo and Naeem Islam picking up four each and the other two going to Saqlain Sajib.
The spinners took a firm grip after Imrul Kayes and Mohammad Mithun made a bright start. But once Naeem had Imrul caught behind for 19, Khulna’s wickets kept tumbling.
Mithun though, at the other end, played as if he was batting on a different wicket. He slammed 54 off 64 balls with six boundaries and two sixes.
Shuvo confirmed the man-of-the-match award after his 34 off 46 balls during Rajshahi’s chase. Junaed Siddiqui also made runs, compiling 47 off 70 balls.
DHAKA-BARISAL
Shamsur Rahman and Shuvogoto Hom struck 54 each, but in different styles, as Dhaka posted 242 runs before being bowled out in 49 overs.
Shuvogoto, who again earned a call-up to the provisional squad for the Zimbabwe series, struck four boundaries and a six in his 47-ball knock but played a horrendous shot when Dhaka were poised to expand their score during the batting Powerplay.
Earlier, Shamsur held the innings together after Rony Talukder (37) and Mohammad Asharful (36) threw away their starts. The right-hander batted for more than two hours to make 54 off 112 balls.
Kamrul Islam, Asif Ahmed and Sohag Gazi took three wickets each.
Barisal made a rapid start through Fazle Rabbi’s blade. All seven boundaries in the left-hander’s 30-ball 37 were worth watching. Mahmudullah Riyad however ended his innings with a clever delivery in the seventh over. Nasiruddin Faruque and Shahriar Nafees also fell cheaply and that all but ended Barisal’s hope.
For Dhaka, Riyad and Shahadat took three wickets each.
BRIEF SCORES
KHULNA: 118 all out in 31.2 overs (Mithun 54; Shuvo 4-28, Naeem 4-32).
RAJSHAHI: 124-4 in 28 overs (Junaed 47; Imrul 2-18).
Result: Rajshahi won by six wickets.
DHAKA: 242 all out in 49 overs (Shamsur 54, Shuvogoto 54; Ratul 3-25).
BARISAL: 163 all out in 40.1 overs (Ratul 44, Rabbi 37; Shahadat 3-23).
Result: Dhaka won by 79 runs.
