Anamul, Abu Hider bolster Gazi Group's lead at the top

Gazi Group Cricketers took a four-point lead at the top of the Dhaka Premier League points table after their ten-run win over Brothers Union at the BKSP-3 Ground in Savar. Abu Hider's four-wicket haul made the difference for Gazi Group at the end of a tense battle.

Set 237 to beat the in-form team of the competition, Alok Kapali and Manvinder Bisla added 78 runs for the fourth wicket after Brothers Union lost three early wickets. When Manvinder fell in the 39th over, having added 60 runs for the sixth wicket with Dhiman Ghosh, Gazi Group took charge of the game.

Even though Myshukur Rahaman tried to inspire Brothers Union's lower-order to an end-innings fightback with a run-a-ball 38, Hider's late strikes, culminating in figures of 4 for 52, ensured the opposition was bowled out for 226 in 48.5 overs. Mahedi Hasan and Shahidul Islam finished with two wickets each.

Earlier, Gazi Group's innings was headlined by a 97-ball 93 from wicketkeeper Anamul Haque, who strung a third-wicket 89-run stand with Suhrawadi Shuvo (41) and a 59-run fifth-wicket partnership with captain Nadif Chowdhury (33), before Mohammad Saddam and Kapali scalped three wickets apiece to skittle Gazi Group for 236 in 48.4 overs.

Partex Sporting Club registered their first win this season after handing Kalabagan Krira Chakra a 62-run drubbing at the KSOA Stadium in Fatullah.

Having been put in to bat, Partex posted 278 for 5 in 50 overs, piloted by a 52-run stand between Irfan Sukkur (58) and Sajjad Hossain (46) for the third wicket. Sukkur and and Sazzadul Haque (53) then put on 95 runs for the fourth wicket. Jubair Ahmed (16) and Rajibul Islam (30) took Partex past 250 runs, adding 42 unbroken runs for the sixth wicket in the last 4.4 overs.

Samad returned the best figures for Kalabagan, finishing with 3 for 50 from his ten overs.

In reply, despite having four experienced batsmen, Kalabagan failed to play out their full quota of 50 overs, folding for 216 in 46.1 overs. Hamilton Masakadza top-scored with 45 while openers Mehrab Hossain jnr and Mohammad Ashraful struggled to make any impact, registering scores of 11 and 12 respectively. Kalabagan's woes were compounded by Imran Ali, who bagged a five-wicket haul in only his second List-A game. Among his victims were Masakadza and captain Tushar Imran, who fell for a four-ball duck.

Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity moved to eighth position on the points table after Robiul Islam Robi struck a 126-ball 103 to set up a 20-run victory over fifth-placed Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club at the BKSP-4 Ground.

Having elected to bat, Khelaghar opener Robi clobbered ten fours and two sixes enroute to his second List-A century this season. He added 83 for the first wicket with Salahuddin Pappu (46) before adding 126 for the third wicket with Amit Majumder, who struck 58 off 74 balls. Abdur Razzak picked up his second five-for of the season, as Khelaghar posted 266 for 8 in 50 overs.

Dhanmondi Club were reduced to 22 for 3 in the fourth over but Prashant Chopra (44) and Rajin Saleh (76) added 53 for the fourth wicket to resuscitate the chase. Rajin and the in-form Ziaur Rahman (75) then led Dhanmond's rally with an emphatic 108-run stand for the fifth wicket. However, Ziaur's dismissal in the 35th over triggered a lower-order collapse as Dhanmondi lost their last five wickets for 51 runs before being bowled out for 246 in 47.2 overs. Abdur retired hurt with a leg injury after he fell badly while putting in a dive to get back in the crease. Tanvir Islam scalped four wickets to help Khelaghar register their third win of the tournament.