Raqibul leads Gazi Tank to victory

Raqibul Hasan helped Gazi Tank Cricketers keep their solo lead in the Dhaka Premier League's Super League after their six-wicket win over Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club. The discarded Bangladesh batsman struck his third fifty this month, and his 23rd in List A cricket, as he guided a tricky chase.

He made an unbeaten 90 off 93 balls with ten fours and two sixes after Eoin Morgan again fell after making a good start. Raqibul and Imrul Kayes added 123 runs for the third wicket, with the left-handed opener making 81 off 95 balls. Later, Raqibul kept the chase on track with two small partnerships for the third and fourth wicket.

Earlier Dhanmondi Club made 259 for 9 in 50 overs with Elton Chigumbura hammering nine sixes and six fours in yet another brutal display. This time he reached a century, his highest score in List A cricket, and ended up on an unbeaten 109 off just 94 balls. Ryan ten Doeschate took three wickets.

Farhad Reza's early burst, and Sabbir Rahman's four-wicket haul, powered Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club to a seven-wicket win over Mohammedan Sporting Club.

The Doleshwar captain removed Mohammedan openers Rajin Saleh and Ezaz Ahmed in his first two overs in a tight first spell. The rest of the top and middle-order were back in the pavilion by the 23rd over, after which Muktar Ali made the highest score of the innings with 46.

Sabbir's legspin took care of the rest of the Mohammedan batsmen, finishing with figures of 4 for 39 in eight overs. Shafiul Alam took two wickets while Taijul Islam picked up one as they restricted them to 143 all out in the 43rd over.

Mehedi Maruf and Rony Talukdar then added 73 for the second wicket in good time to enforce an early finish. They reached the target in 27 overs, with Mominul Haque and Dawid Malan remaining unbeaten when the victory was completed.

Prime Bank Cricket Club suffered a horrendous collapse to go down by seven runs to Kalabagan Cricket Academy. They lost their last seven wickets for just 34 runs despite Ravi Bopara's century that was guiding them towards the 306-run target.

From 264 for 3, they were bowled out for 298 runs in the final over. Bopara also got out in the final over, having made 138 off 133 balls with seven fours and sixes each. He had earlier added 159 runs for the third wicket with Taibur Rahman, who made 76. But the match tilted in the 46th over when Mahmudul Hasan was run out, and Nazmul Islam accounted for the wickets of Rumman Ahmed, Rezaul Karim and Enamul Haque jnr. Nazmul ended up with a five-wicket haul that won him the man-of-the-match award. Zakaria Masud and Avishek Mitra took two wickets each, Zakaria's coming in the final over.

Earlier, there was another century from a Zimbabwean when Hamilton Masakadza smashed 125 off 101 balls with 15 fours and five sixes. He added 127 runs for the fourth wicket with Abdul Mazid, who made a half-century.