Bangkok Six's cricket - Chittagong Boys finish second (10 April 1998)

10 April 1998

Bangkok Six's cricket - Chittagong Boys finish second

Sports Reporter

Chittagong Club finished runners-up in the six-overs International Bangkok Six's cricket, which concluded in the Thai capital on Sunday.

Although the Commonwealth Cricket Club (CCC), one of the two selections from Bangladesh, stole the limelight on the inaugural day on Saturday by winning all their four first round matches, it was the Chittagong outfit who delivered the better in the nick of time.

Despite their initial flash CCC were eliminated from the quarterfinals. Not surprisingly their official, who appeared hyper-active after their success on the inaugural day and communicated with the press, did not bother to send news of their debacle. But, news of misfortune travels faster than the wind.

Shadowed by CCC's all-win performance, Chittagong Club, led by national skipper Akram Khan, moved into the quarterfinal with three wins against one defeat in their preliminary group league matches on Saturday. However, the unlikely thrust in the ball-bashing competition was provided by former national opener Nurul Abedin Nobel. The balding Chittagonian, unconquered in the first four matches, scored 18 in the first two engagements against two different Indian selections before slamming 21 against Bombay Blues.

In the quarterfinal against Virginia, who finished runners-up in the previous edition of the tournament, Nobel scored an unbeaten 19 and skipper Akram hammered 21 not out as Chittagong Club, facing a challenging total of 55 from the Indian outfit, rattled up the required 56 for the loss of one wicket.

Although Chittagong Club crossed the semi-final hurdle quite comfortably, they bowed out in the final but not before giving a dog-fight against eventual winners ICC of India, who won the thriller by only two runs.

Needing 68 to win, Chittagong Club scored 66 before falling in the final delivery of the innings. The Bangladesh outfit at one stage required two runs from the last three balls when Ripon was caught on the boundary line while attempting to score the winning runs with a six.

Source:: The Bangladesh Daily Star (https://www.dailystarnews.com)