Williams seven-for keeps Brothers on top

Sean Williams stormed into the Dhaka Premier Division with a seven-wicket haul in his first appearance for Brothers Union. With the best List A figures by a Zimbabwean, Williams sunk Kalabagan Cricket Academy to 148 in 32.1 overs, which Brothers Union chased in 22.3 overs, with nine wickets in hand to stay on top of the table. His spell included a hat-trick when he dismissed Hamilton Masakadza and Saghir Hossain on the last two deliveries of the 19th over and then got rid of Sikandar Raza on the first ball of the 21st over.

The match was reduced to 34 overs a side, starting three hours after the scheduled start due to overnight rain.

Williams ran through the first seven wickets with his left-arm spin, finishing with 7 for 25. His victims included one more fellow countryman, Vusi Sibanda, and his three other wickets were of Mizanur Rahman, KCA's captain Marshall Ayub and Nazmul Islam.

His figures are the second-best List A figures in Bangladesh, after Abdur Razzak's 7 for 17 for Bangladesh A against Zimbabwe A in 2003-04.

During the chase, Tamim Iqbal blasted an unbeaten 95 off 65 balls with seven sixes and six fours. He dominated the unbroken 129-run second-wicket stand with brother Nafees Iqbal, who was not out on 36.

In another rain-affected match, Kalabagan Krira Chakra crushed Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity by 116 runs. This match at the BKSP-3 ground was reduced to 31 overs per side due to rain that went on all night in Dhaka and its surrounding areas.

Batting first, KKC got off to a fine start with Mithun Ali and captain Jehan Mubarak getting half-centuries. They added 141 runs for the second wicket after opener Mahbubul Karim was out for a duck.

Mithun raced to his 78 off 64 balls with six fours and five sixes while Mubarak made 69 off 64. Chamara Kapugedara slammed a 33-ball 58 with four fours and five sixes to take their total to 248 for 7.

Khelaghar predictably struggled, and were restricted to 132 for 7 in 31 overs. Seamer Dilhara Lokuhettige took three wickets, while comeback man Shakib Al Hasan went wicketless in his six overs.

This was Shakib's first match after recovering from a thumb injury he sustained during the Caribbean Premier League last month.