Spinners Sohag Gazi and Abdur Razzak enabled Prime Bank South Zone to take a slim 16-run first innings lead over Islami Bank East Zone as they shared 10 wickets between them on the second day of their second Bangladesh Cricket League match at Mirpur on Thursday.
In reply to South Zone’s 248 all out on the opening day, East Zone resumed the second day’s play on 50-1 as the spin duo, Sohag and Razzak, triggered a collapse that forced their opponents to end their innings on 232 runs.
Sohag, a very successful bowler in the domestic arena, took 6-66 while Razzak, playing his first match in the competition, claimed 4-63.
‘I have played at this level to get into the national team, so I want to continue playing here in the same way. It is not easier. I am taking the same preparations, doing the same routines here as I had taken in national team,’ said Bangladesh’s latest spin sensation Sohag.
‘He [Razzak] really appreciated it. He helped me, but I must say he bowled really well. Our target was to bowl maidens, put them under extra pressure and we were successful,’ said Sohag who six-wicket haul kept Razzak away from a five-for.
East Zone were cruising along well with two half-centuries from Nafees Iqbal and Mominul Haque, who scored 83 and 78 runs respectively, before Sohag removed them both.
Nafees and Mominul’s departure caused the collapse which saw them losing their last seven wickets for just 14 runs.
Before the day ended, South Zone stretched their lead to 145 runs as they reached 129 runs losing the only wicket of Imrul Kayes.
Anamul Haque scored his second half-century in the game as he remained unbeaten on 65 along with Soumya Sarker, who was not out on 48.
Anamul, who made 74 in the first innings, and Soumya added 114 runs for the unbroken second-wicket stand after Taposh Baishya had Kayes caught by Nabil Samad for 12.
Meanwhile at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra, Bangladesh Cricket Board North Zone were in complete control over Walton Central Zone after Mushfiqur Rahim added a fifty to their overnight score as they were all out for 361 runs in their first innings.
Mushfiq, who resumed on 33 with North Zone at 281-5, missed out on a century as he ran short of partners to finish with an unbeaten 76, facing 107 balls and hitting seven fours and two sixes.
Local boy Shafiul Islam provided him some valuable support at the bottom as they added 49 runs for the ninth wicket. Shafiul chipped in with 22 runs before he was cleaned up by Elias Sunny, the pick of the Central Zone bowler, who grabbed 3-80.
Walton Central Zone made 170-4 before the day’s play ended and their batsmen face a huge task as they are still 191 runs behind.
Quickie Sajedul Islam ripped the heart out of Central Zone’s top-order with three wickets before Mohammad Ashraful and Mehrab Hossain Jr provided some resistance with an unbroken 82-run fifth-wicket partnership.
Ashraful remained two short of his first fifty while Mehrab was batting on 36 when the bails were drawn for the second day.
-With New Age input
