Naeem, Nazmul help Mohammedan to top of table

Naeem Islam jnr claimed figures of 4 for 21 to trigger Prime Bank Cricket Club's batting collapse as Mohammedan Sporting Club climbed to the top of the points table with a 42-run win on the reserve day in Mirpur.

Resuming on 41 for 1 in the seventh over, Prime Bank cruised to 113 in the 22nd over before pacer Subashis Roy trapped Sabbir Rahman lbw for 41. In the next 68 balls, Mohammedan conceded just 39 and took eight wickets. Naeem jnr won the Player-of-the-Match award for his four-for, while Subashis contributed with three wickets. Only Prime Bank's top three reached a double-figure score.

On Tuesday, Prime Bank reduced had Mohammedan to 41 for 5 in 13.4 overs, but Mithun Manhas and Nazmul Hossain Milon added 70 runs for the sixth wicket to revive the innings. Nazmul, who top-scored with 64, added 84 runs for the seventh wicket with Habibur Rahman (50). Pace bowler Mohammad Azim took three wickets, while Rubel Hossain and left-arm spinner Monir Hossain took two apiece.

Abahani Limited bounced back from three successive losses to beat Gazi Group Cricketers by 32 runs on the reserve day at the BKSP-3 ground.

Batting first, Abahani reached 276-6 in 50 overs. Rajat Bhatia, Abahani's fourth Indian recruit this season, made 90 in an innings that featured nine fours and a six. He came to the crease at the fall of captain Tamim Iqbal's wicket, who became the first Bangladesh batsman to reach 6000 List-A runs during his 55 off 66 balls. Bhatia added 100 runs for the fifth wicket with Mosaddek Hossain, who chipped in with a 46-ball 47.

Shamsur Rahman held the Gazi Group chase together with his second List-A century. He made 136 off 130 balls with thirteen fours and three sixes. The other four batsmen in Gazi Group's top five scored a combined one run as they slipped to 25 for 4 in the seventh over. Shamsur found support from Faruque Hossain, who made 29, as the pair added 75 runs for the seventh wicket.

Taskin Ahmed took 4 for 32 while Abul Hasan and Bhatia took two each. With the win, Abahani moved into sixth place while Gazi Group is in fifth due to a higher net run-rate.

The game also saw the return of Shahadat Hossain, who last played a competitive match in May last year. He had been suspended for several months after he was jailed for allegedly assaulting a housemaid.