Victoria Sporting go top with nine-wicket win

Prime Doleshwar came crashing down after four big wins, when Victoria Sporting Club handed them a nine-wicket defeat in the Dhaka Premier League.

After deciding to bat first at the BKSP-3 ground, Doleshwar were bowled out for just 85 runs in 26 overs. Victoria's Sri Lankan pace bowler Shalika Karunanayake and seamer Soumya Sarkar took three wickets each, while Sajedul Islam and captain Nasir Hossain picked up one each.

Doleshwar were always going to be in trouble when Tillakaratne Sampath, Mominul Haque and Roshen Silva all failed in this game.

Anamul Haque and Karunanayake then added 81 runs for the second wicket to take Victoria to an easy win, completed in 14.3 overs. Victoria join Doleshwar in the top of the table with four wins from six matches.

Abahani however remain in tenth position, after suffering their fifth defeat. This time, Prime Bank Cricket Club crushed them by 120 runs at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium.

Prime Bank batted first after winning the toss, and despite losing an early wicket, they began brightly. Saikat Ali (59) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (69) added 82 for the second wicket, before Lahiru Thirimanne struck a breezy half-century.

Abahani lost wickets regularly in their chase, never quite finding a rhythm. They missed the in-form Mosaddek Hossain in the middle-order. He has left for West Indies with the Bangladesh Under-19s squad, having been the joint highest-scorer in the league with 320 runs.

Prime Bank captain Enamul Haque jnr picked up four wickets while offspinner Fariduddin Masud took three.

There was a heavy defeat for Mohammedan Sporting Club too, who went down by 103 runs to Gazi Tank Cricketers. It was their third loss in a row, after having won the first three games.

They inserted Gazi Tank at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra, and had the early momentum. But Mahmudullah and Raqibul Hasan struck fifties to lift Gazi Tank from 95 for four. The pair added 94 runs for the fifth wicket, with Mahmudullah warming up nicely for the upcoming Test series with 68 off 78 balls. Raqibul was the top-scorer, making 75 off 65 balls with six fours and a couple of sixes.

Ejaz Ahmed and Upul Tharanga kept Mohammedan in the hunt for a while. Opener Ejaz smashed three sixes in his 43-ball 42, but Tharanga saw wickets tumble at the other end. He made 56 off 72 balls, but by the time he was dismissed, Gazi Tank had the ascendancy.

Ashar Zaidi, the 32-year-old left-arm spinner, took three wickets in seven overs while Mahmudullah picked up two.