Bangladesh: Biman Champions in Premier League (14 February 1999)
Bangladesh Biman has become champions of Metropolis Premier Division Cricket League with nine wins in the per team 11-match 80-over two-day single league that concluded Saturday
14-Feb-1999
14 February 1999
Bangladesh: Biman Champions in Premier League
Zahid Newaz in Dhaka
Bangladesh Biman has become champions of Metropolis Premier Division
Cricket League with nine wins in the per team 11-match 80-over two-day
single league that concluded Saturday. It is the sixth title for the
national airlines.
Biman and last year's champions Abahani secured 18 points in the
seesaw league. But in the net run rate, finally Bangladesh Biman
became champions with a favourable rate of 1.26. Last year's champions
Abahani's run rate was 0.70.
In the last match, Abahani defeated Brothers Union by a massive 129
runs at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka Saturday. With the
defeat, Brothers Union were placed fourth behind Surjo Tarun Club.
Both Brothers Union and Surjo Tarun secured 16 points from their 11
outings each. But Brothers fell behind also for the reason of net run
rate. Surjo Tarun's run rate was 0.81 while of Brothers 0.29.
This year most unfortunate was giant Mohammedans who faced departure
of many national players from the team and brought Kenyan Steve Tikolo
and Maurice Odumbe to protect the prestige. But finally, they finished
with fifth position.
Not only Tikolo and Odumbe, like previous years imported players
flooded the league matches. Although, this years there were not men
like Wasim Akram or Arjuna Ranatunga, every team had foreign recruit
mainly from India and Pakistan.
This is for the first time the league was played on 80-over basis to
enable the players to play long innings as Bangladesh is pursuing for
Test Status. However, like previous years the league was not double
one as the organisers had to finish it earlier for preparation for the
World Cup.
So far, Abahani won the league title for a record 12 times including
joint champions twice, with Biman in 1993-94 and with Mohammedans in
1994-95 seasons. Mohammedans bagged the league title for seven times.
In the Saturday's last league match, Brothers Union were all out for
229 runs in 58.5 overs, replying to the mammoth 358 runs by Abahani on
the first day (Friday).
Two down Amir Hanif of Pakistan contributed highest 74 runs for
Brothers while one down Jahangir Alam made the second highest 44 runs.
Three more batsmen - opener Shahriar Hossain (35), number seven
Wahidul Islam (18) and skipper Khaled Mahmud (12)- scored double
figures for Brothers.
Pakistani Ijaz Ahmed Jr, who hit highest 85 runs for Abahani on
Friday, bowled at number seven Saturday to capture three wickets for
25 runs in 11.5 overs. Naimur Rahman took two wickets for 48 runs in
12 overs.
Following is the standing of Metropolis Premier Division Cricket
League 1998-99, concluded Saturday:
Team Match Win Loss Points Run Rate Bangladesh Biman 11 9 2 18 1.26 Abahani Ltd 11 9 2 18 0.70 Surjo Tarun Club 11 8 3 16 0.81 Brothers' Union 11 8 3 16 0.29 Mohammedans SC 11 6 5 12 0.27 Agrani Bank CC 11 6 5 12 0.02 Kalabagan KC 11 5 6 10 0.09 Victoria SC 11 4 7 8 -0.33 Sadharan Bima KS 11 4 7 8 -0.42 Wari Club 11 4 7 8 -0.53 Orient SC 11 2 9 4 Ajax SC 11 1 10 2
Cricket League Winners/Runners-up
Year Champion Runners-up
1974-65 Abahani Shantinagar
1975-76 Victoria Abahani
1976-77 Abahani Victoria
1977-78 Mohammedans Abahani
1978-79 Mohammedans Abahani
1979-80 Biman Azad Boys Club
1980-81 Biman Mohammedans
1981-82 Mohammedans Abahani
1982-83 Abahani Mohammedans
1983-84 Biman Mohammedans
(Navana Cricket League)
Year Champion Runners-Up
1984-85 Abahani Mohammedans
1985-86 Abahani Mohammedans
1986-87 Abahani Mohammedans
(Navana Premier Cricket League):
Year Champions Runners-Up
1987-88 Mohammedans Abahani
1988-89 Biman Abahani
1989-90 Abahani Rupali Bank
1990-91 Brothers Union Biman
1991-92 Mohammedans Abahani
1992-93 Abahani Mohammedans & Biman
1993-94 Biman & Abahani Mohammedans
Premier Cricket League
Year Champion Runners-up
1994-95 Mohammedans & Abahani Kalabagan
1995-96 Mohammedans Brothers Union
(Janakantha Premier Cricket League):
Year Champion Runners-up
1996-97 Abahani Kalabagan
1997-98 Abahani Brothers Union
1998-99 Biman Abahani
Source :: CricInfo365