Nafees 72 helps Barisal cling on for draw

Rain wreaked havoc in the National Cricket League Tier-1 opening-round match between Dhaka Metropolis and Dhaka Division. Only 15 overs of play were possible over four days in the drawn game and the umpires called off play early on the final day. The other three first-round matches were also affected by rain.

Barisal Division held Khulna Division to a draw at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna. Batting first, Barisal were bowled out for 261 runs in 80 overs. Abdur Razzak and Al-Amin Hossain picked up three wickets each while Barisal's innings was propped up by three fifties by Shahriar Nafees, Fazle Mahmud and Monir Hossain. In reply, Khulna posted 424 runs with Tushar Imran and Razzak scoring 91 and 97 respectively, while Mahedi Hasan and Mehedi Hasan Miraz made 85 and 73. Golam Kabir and Sohag Gazi took three wickets each. Trailing by 163 runs, Barisal reached 248 for 8 on the final day. Nafees struck his second fifty of the match, scoring 72.

In Sylhet, Rangpur Division reached 224 for 5 in a chase of 265 runs in a draw against Chittagong Division in a Tier-2 match. Rangpur scored more than five runs an over in their chase, but couldn't push their way to a win. Mahmudul Hasan struck an 89-ball 85 and Ariful Haque slammed 63 off 50 balls to control Rangpur's chase.

Earlier batting first, Chittagong put up 368 runs. Yasir Ali top-scored with 90 while Tasamul Haque struck 52. Alauddin Babu took three wickets. Rangpur conceded a first-innings lead of 13 runs after being bowled out for 355. Tanveer Haider fell three runs short of a hundred, while Saymon Ahmed (53) and Dhiman Ghosh (86) also made fifties. Yasir Arafat Mishu took 5 for 65 on his first-class debut. Suhrawadi Shuvo's 5 for 50 then helped Rangpur bowl Chittagong out for 251 in the second innings, leaving Rangpur a target of 265.

In the other Tier-2 game, Rajshahi Division also drew against Sylhet Division at home. Batting first, Abu Jayed's five-for blew Rajshahi away for 199 runs in the first innings. Then Farhad Reza and Muktar Ali took three wickets each as Sylhet were bowled out for 175, giving Rajshahi a 24-run lead. Rain, however, ate into the game and the match ended with Rajshahi at 120 for 4 in the second innings.