All-rounder Alok Kapali’s bowling prowess and Shamsur Rahman’s batting skills helped Gazi Group seal an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Kalabagan Cricket Academy in the Dhaka Premier League on Saturday. Kapali, who was the first man to claim a hat-trick for Bangladesh in Test cricket, grabbed five wickets to bundle out KCA before Shamsur remained not out on 95 to guide Gazi reach 187-2 in 40.2 overs to complete the victory at the BKSP.
But the apparently one sided match finished with a climax as Shamsur struck a six in the bowling off Abdul Halim when the match was tied but the run was not credited to the batsman as the bowler bowled no-ball .
According to the rules, Gazi won the match no sooner the no-ball was bowled and thus Shamsur, who has now four half centuries in this year’s DPL, was denied from his first century.
KCA got off to a decent start after being sent into bat and reached 94-2 in the 20th over before Kapali bamboozled their middle order with his leg-spin bowling and picked up 5-44, his first list ‘A’ five wicket haul, to get them out for a lowly score.
Pakistani left-arm spinner Saeed Anwar jr got the first two wickets and off-spinner Mustafiz picked up the last two wickets but It was 32-year old Kapali, who is now on fourth position among the wicket-takers in DPL with 12 wickets, broke the backbone of KCA.
Indian Jatin Saxena scored 44 and KCA skipper Mahmudul Hasan made 41 but those were never enough to avoid their sixth defeat in same number of matches of the league so far.
In reply, Anamul Haque and Shamsur made a decent opening stand of 51 before Anamul, who in now in the third position of top run getters in DPL with 331 runs, got out for 29.
Shamsur, who struck eight fours and three sixes in his 120-ball innings, added another 67 runs with Mehedi Hasan (39) to consolidate their position before formed a 69-run unbeaten partnership with Saeed (18) to reach home.
With the win Brothers are now in the fourth position with eight points from six games.
Brief Scores
Kalabagan CA 186 in 47.3 overs (Jatin 44, Mahmudul 41; Kapali 5-44) v Gazi Group 187-2 in 40.2 overs (Shamsur 95,
Mehedi 39)
Result: Gazi Group won by 8 wickets
Man of the match: Alok Kapali (Gazi Group)
-With New Age input
