Dhanmondi suffer damaging defeat

Big spenders Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club failed to make it to the second phase of the Dhaka Premier Division after losing to Brothers Union by six wickets. It was their last game of the first phase and it confirmed their position in the competition.

Batting first at the BKSP-2 ground, Dhanmondi Club were restricted to 150 for 8 in 50 overs. Junaid Siddique top-scored with 45 off 78 balls while Tanveer Haider made 36. Suhrawadi Shuvo took three wickets and Sanjamul Islam picked up two.

Brothers Union reached the target in 36.1 overs, with Nafees Iqbal top scoring with 44 and Mehrab Hossain jnr making 42 off 54 balls.

Defending champions Victoria Sporting Club also failed to make it to the second phase after they were beaten by 114 runs by Gazi Tank Cricketers in Mirpur.

Gazi Tank made 251 for 8 in after losing the toss, thanks to a late charge from Jacob Oram. The former New Zealand allrounder hammered five sixes and four fours in his 21-ball 54 at No 7. Imrul Kayes and Raqibul Hasan had made 47 each, but like most of the other batsmen, couldn't push on to a big score.

Victoria made a mess of their reply, getting bowled out for 137 runs in 41 overs. Arafat Sunny took four wickets while Ashar Zaidi picked up three.

Abahani fortified their position in the points table with a six-wicket win against Kalabagan Krira Chakra at the BKSP-3 ground.

After winning the toss, Kalabagan were boosted by fifties from Naeem Islam and Tasamul Haque and put up 240 for 8 in 50 overs. Naeem made an unbeaten 86 off 98 balls, his fourth List A half-century in the last five matches, which include the two fifties against New Zealand in the just-concluded ODI series.

It still wasn't enough, however, as Greg Smith struck 89 off 94 balls with nine fours and three sixes. Mosaddek Hossain's unbeaten 53 finished the chase for Abahani as they completed their fourth win in the competition.

There was no joy for Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity, who are in a precarious eleventh position having collected just two points from ten games. They lost to Prime Bank Cricket Club by 59 runs, and although they will be in a play-off with Kalabagan Krira Chakra, they have no chance of remaining in the Dhaka Premier Division because points are carried over to the play-off match. Kalabagan have five points, and even if they lose the play-off, they won't go down because Khelaghar will have four points.

Prime Bank made 225 for 8 in their 50 overs with Taibur Rahman scoring 64 off 85 balls. Khelaghar started the chase brightly with Shuvagata Hom holding one end up with a steadfast half-century. However, they suffered a middle-order collapse and were bowled out for 166 in 43.1 overs. Ravi Bopara, opening the attack, took three wickets while Ziaur Rahman and Taibur took two each.