DPL week 3: Abahani extend red-hot streak, left-arm pacers shine

Abahani Limited romped to nine successive victories in the Dhaka Premier League after trouncing old rivals Mohammedan Sporting Club and Legends of Rupganj to top the points table after week three. Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Mohammedan remain second with seven wins each, while Gazi Tyres Cricket Academy suffered two massive losses.

Bowling dominated play this week as only two teams crossed the 250-run mark while there were 12 hauls of four wickets or more. Left-arm quick Abu Hider took 7 for 20 - the second best List-A figures in Bangladesh history - to bundle Gazi Tyres for 40 in 12 overs. Mohammedan chased the total down in 6.2 overs with nine wickets to spare.

Parvez Hossain Emon remained the top run-getter despite three low scores. Meanwhile, his Prime Bank team-mate Tamim Iqbal breached the 400-run mark this week. Sheikh Jamal's Saif Hassan, Abahani's Anamul Haque and Brothers Union's Abdul Mazid struck hundreds.

Anamul struck his 15th List A century, an unbeaten 107, with seven fours and four sixes, spanning 118 balls, to help Abhani beat Gazi Group Cricketers by seven wickets. Gazi Tyres' opener Mohobbot Hossen Roman struck 63 off 47 balls on List A debut against Rupganj Tigers at a strike rate of 134.04.

Left-arm quicks Hider, Maruf Mridha and Ruyel Miah are now the top three wicket-takers in the DPL. Hider overtook Maruf with his seven-wicket haul to climb to the top of the tally, while Ruyel's second five-wicket haul, against Gazi Tyres, earned him a spot among the top three.

Before a defeat against arch-rivals Abahani and a big win against Gazi Tyres, Mohammedan started the week by beating Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by five runs in Fatullah.

Defending 200 runs, Mohammedan's bowlers didn't allow Sheikh Jamal to settle. Saif kept them going with a half-century but retired hurt after 33 overs - 60* at the time - due to cramps. He returned in the 44th over and remained 84* off 120 balls but couldn't finish the job. Kamrul Islam Rabbi was the bowler who kept him down and successfully defended 14 runs in the last over.

There's no stopping Abahani who crushed Mohammedan with 90 balls to spare. If they win the last two games of the first phase, it will be tough for the rest of the Super League teams to topple them.

City Club finally won a game but there was no such luck for Rupganj Tigers who remain winless in eight games. After winning two games last week, Gazi Tyres got hammered this week: 84 all out against Gazi Group Cricketers and 40 all out against Mohammedan. The latter is the second lowest List-A total in Bangladesh.

Saif's all-round skills came to the fore this week. He made 115 and took 2 for 44 against Prime Bank, apart from his three-wicket haul against Legends of Rupganj, both in winning causes. Mahidul Islam Ankon is the only uncapped player among the top run-getters in this year's DPL. The Mohammedan wicketkeeper-batter has struck six fifties in nine outings so far, and looks primed for some time in the Bangladesh A side in the coming months.