NCL Round-up: Salman Hossain carries Barisal to convincing win; Sunzamul bags ten in Rajshahi victory
Two rain-affected draws meant unbeaten Rangpur Division continue to remain atop the Tier-1 table
Barisal's Salman Hossain celebrated his 50th first-class match by hitting his second century in the format, an innings worth 152 off 344 balls that included 15 fours and a six. That ton helped Barisal take a 261-run first-innings lead after Dhaka Metropolis were bowled out for just 87.
Left-arm spinner Sunzamul Islam was adjudged Player of the Match for his ten-wicket haul in Rajshahi's big win over Chattogram. Sunzamul finished with figures of 10 for 132 on his way to a sixth ten-for, which got him to joint-second position for most ten-fors in first-class cricket in Bangladesh. Abdur Razzak remains on top with ten such hauls.
Rajshahi were bowled out for 194 in the first innings but retrieved the advantage quickly when they bowled Chattogram out for 119. However, Rajshahi slipped to trouble again in the second innings when they were 133 for 5 at one stage, before Pritom and Farhad combined to add 198 runs.
Rangpur (28.89) and Dhaka Division (25.40), who are separated by 3.49 points, will be battling for the Tier-1 title in the final round starting Wednesday. The promotion battle should also be close, with Barisal (26.64) less than two points behind Chattogram, who are leading the Tier-2 table with 28.10 points.
Pritom's century bodes well for Rajshahi's future as the once-mighty first-class team now languishes in the second tier. Meanwhile, Soumya Sarkar, who was recently dropped from the Bangladesh T20I team, made 57 for Khulna against Sylhet. Liton Das, however, managed only 24 for Rangpur against Dhaka Division.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84