Taijul bowls North Zone to victory

A 51-run win over Central Zone gave North Zone a place in the BCL final, where they will meet South Zone in Mirpur on May 9. Taijul Islam's eleven wickets was the catalyst for the victory, though Central Zone's captain Mahmudullah also grabbed headlines, albeit for the wrong reasons.

It was North Zone who took the initiative, making 457 in a day and half, with Farhad Hossain making his seventh first-class century. Hamidul Islam, Junaid Siddique and Tanveer Haider also scored fifties while Elias Sunny took four wickets.

In reply, Central Zone were bowled out for 278 runs with Mahmudullah making an unbeaten 105 off 156 balls. But the innings was marred by his obscene gesture after crossing the three-figure mark, for which he was fined 100% of his match fees and suspended for two games.

That wasn't all from Mahmudullah, who then went on to take four wickets off four balls, across two innings. North Zone's second dig was wrapped up for just 87 runs with Sunny taking five wickets, and set Central Zone with 267 runs to win and make it to the final.

Central Zone were buoyed by a a 60 from Sunny, but left-arm spinners Taijul and Sanjamul Islam combined to take seven second-innings wickets while pacer Subashis Roy dismissed three batsmen to bowl Central Zone out for 215.

South Zone rose to the top of the points table with a six-wicket win over East Zone on the third day and qualified for the final when Central Zone lost their clash with North Zone.

Batting first, East Zone were bowled out for 135 runs as Abdur Razzak picked up four wickets and Sohag Gazi took three wickets.

South Zone replied strongly with half-centuries from Anamul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Mithun Ali and Gazi, and were bowled out for 376 runs with a 141-run lead.

East Zone put up a better batting display in the second innings, led by opener Shadman Islam, who missed out on his maiden first-class hundred by two runs. Shadman, an Under-19 opener, made 98 off 266 balls with 13 fours and a six. Litton Das and Mominul Haque also struck fifties as East reached 341, but the big lead meant that South only needed 101 to win the game.

Anamul Haque's 51-ball 63 anchored the chase as South scored at a fair clip to reach the target in 19 overs.

Razzak, who took a five-for in the second innings, ended with figures of 9 for 129 and was adjudged Man of the Match.