Easy wins for Abahani and Mohammedan

Offspinner Al-Amin spearheaded an incisive bowling performance from Abahani Limited, before an unbeaten 79 from the opener Yasir Ali helped them seal a comprehensive six-wicket win against Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity in Savar.

Abahani, choosing to field, began brightly as Khelaghar opener Mohammad Forkan was dismissed in the second over. Al-Amin picked up the wicket of former Sri Lanka opener Michael Vandort before dismissing the captain Faisal Hossain, and Steven Mullaney, to finish with 3 for 31.

Ariful Haque top-scored with 46, but Khelaghar's next biggest contribution came all the way down at No.10 from Masum Khan, who made 32. Samad and Shamsul Alam notched two scalps each, as Khelaghar, in the absence of any significant partnership, were bundled out for 161 in 46.3 overs.

Abahani began their chase slowly, as two wickets from Faisal left them at 97 for 4 in the 25th over. Yasir however led the recovery, by smashing four fours and four sixes, and adding 65 runs for the fifth wicket with Greg Smith, to overhaul the small target with 12.3 overs remaining.

Mohammedan Sporting Club captain Rajin Saleh's 89-ball 90 ultimately made the difference, as they prevailed over Brothers Union by 23 runs in Bogra in a game that was reduced to 43 overs per side, due to a dense fog in the morning.

Saleh hits 13 fours and put up crucial stands of 99 and 83 for the first two wickets with Ezaz Ahmed and Afghanistan's Asghar Stanikzai respectively. Ezaz made 51 off 49 deliveries with two fours and four sixes, while Stanikzai's 47 included two fours and three sixes, as Mohammedan powered their way to 282 for 8.

Brothers Union lost the openers early in the run-chase, but Sri Lanka's Thilan Samaraweera counterattacked with 10 fours, making 78 off just 66 balls. Samaraweera's 52-run fourth-wicket stand with Sean Ervine had put Brothers Union in a good position, but Habibur Rahman dismissed Samaraweera, Nazmuz Sadat and Suhrawadi Shuvo in a short spell, to take the game away from them.

Sanjamul Islam added a late surge, hitting 53 off just 38, but the required-rate was too high for Brothers Union, as Mohammedan restricted them to 259 for 9 from their 43 overs.

An 88-run third-wicket stand between Dawid Malan and Rony Talukder helped Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club chase down 243 and secure a three-wicket win over Kalabagan Krira Chakra in Rajshahi.

Prime Doleshwar's top order all made vital contributions, but Malan stood out by hitting seven fours and two sixes as he made his way to a 90-ball 75. He and Talukder batted out 17.4 overs, to build on the good start made by the opener Mehedi Maruf who blitzed 47 off 43 deliveries. Imamul Hossain picked up three late wickets, but Farhad Reza took Prime Doleshwar home with three overs to spare.

Kalabagan's innings was earlier propelled by a 60 from Bilal Shafayat, who put up 85 for the third wicket with Farhad Hossain, before Jehan Mubarak's quickfire 51 towards the end took the team to 243 for 7.