Mithun, Mizanur score big as Cental trounce North; South beat East by eight wickets

Central Zone made a strong start in the Bangladesh Cricket League, trouncing North Zone by an innings and 70 runs in Chittagong.

Central Zone's top three - Mohammad Mithun, Mizanur Rahman and Soumya Sarkar - all struck hundreds as they racked up 563 for 3. Mithun top scored with 176 off 257 balls with 21 fours and two sixes, while Mizanur struck the same number of fours, and three sixes in his 162 off 243 balls. The opening pair added 327 runs, with Mizanur now involved in three 300-plus opening stands in the last four years.

Soumya struck 104 not out off 148 balls with ten fours and a six, before Salman Hossain and Mosaddek Hossain struck fifties to take them past the 550-mark.

Trailing by 344 runs, North Zone were bowled out for 274 in the second innings, with captain Marshall Ayub top scoring with 101. For Central Zone, left-arm spinner Hasan Murad took 6 for 74.

Up north in Rajshahi, South Zone beat East Zone by eight wickets.

A brace of five-wicket hauls from offspinner Mahedi Hasan and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed helped South Zone bowl out East Zone for 260 in the first innings.

Zakir Hasan then made 158 off 276 balls with 19 fours and two sixes. He added 128 runs for the fourth wicket with Anamul Haque who made 88, before his 104-run ninth wicket stand with Nasum, who chipped in with 59 batting at No. 10.

Offspinners Nayeem Hasan, Anamul Haque and Mohammad Ashraul took three wickets each, but East Zone couldn't force the issue with the bat in their second innings. They were bowled out for 257, with Afif Hossain's 86 their top score.

Offspinner Nahidul Islam took four wickets, while Nasum and Mahedi added two each to their match haul. South Zone later took 21.3 overs to knock over the 89-run fourth innings target.