Rajshahi begin briskly chasing 297

Rajshahi Division 51 for 0 (Junaid 31*) & 314 (Naeem 112, Shahadat 5-82) trail Dhaka Division 280 (Mahmudullah 57, Reza 3-41) & 330 (Anamul 118, Mehrab 116, Saqlain 5-109) by 246 runs
Scorecard

Rajshahi Division need another 246 runs on Day 5, with 10 wickets in hand, to take the National Cricket League title. Set 297 for victory by Dhaka Division, Rajshahi went to stumps 51 for no loss, scoring at a healthy 4.78 in the 10.4 overs they got to bat on the penultimate day in Mirpur.

Dhaka's total was built on solid centuries by Anamul Haque and Mehrab Hossain Jr. Resuming on 97 for 3, just 63 ahead, overnight batsmen Mehrab and Mahmudullah added 28 runs before offspinner Farhad Hossain got Mahmudullah to hole out. At that, Anamul, who had retired hurt on Day 3, returned to the crease and built a patient fifth-wicket stand with Mehrab. When left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib had Anamul stumped for 118, the pair had added 166 runs.

Thereafter, a bulk of the scoring was done by Mehrab, while his team lost wickets in quick time at the other end. Mehrab departed for 116 and Dhaka lost their last four wickets for 12 runs. Saqlain, who had picked up two wickets late on Day 3, snagged three more, to finish with 5 for 109 off a marathon 46 overs.

With a little over a day's play left, the target of 297 put the game in the balance. Dhaka will hope for the Day 5 pitch to deteriorate considerably, while Rajshahi will want Junaid Siddique to continue where he left off on Friday - he launched the chase with five boundaries, going to stumps 31 not out off just 35 balls.