BCL: Jaker Ali century sets up winning start for defending champions Central Zone
Hasan Mahmud picks up seven wickets as South Zone start their campaign with a win over North Zone
ESPNcricinfo staff
23-Dec-2022
South Zone's Hasan Mahmud won the Player-of-the-Match award against North Zone after a seven-wicket haul • AFP/Getty Images
Defending champions Central Zone got off to a roaring start in this season's Bangladesh Cricket League, with an innings-and-116-run win over East Zone in Rajshahi.
Central set up the game with a big first-innings total, scoring 453 after being asked to bat. Jaker Ali struck his maiden first-class century as he added two hundred-plus stands after Central had slipped to 37 for 3 in the first hour.
Jaker made 121 off 200 balls with 15 fours and three sixes, while Soumya Sarkar and captain Shuvagata Hom hit fifties. Jaker and Soumya added 105 runs for the fourth wicket before Jaker and Hom put on 114 for the fifth wicket. Quick bowlers Anamul Haque and Ripon Mondol picked up five and four wickets respectively.
Left-arm spinner Hasan Murad then took five wickets for just 19 runs in 18 overs to help bowl East out for 191. It was his tenth five-for in 20 first-class matches. He finished the game with eight wickets, as East, following on, were bowled out for 146. Rabiul Haque took 4 for 61, and Mohammad Naim was the only East batter to get to a half-century.
South Zone get off to winning start too
South Zone also got off to a sound start with a 168-run win over North Zone in Bogra.
South Zone also got off to a sound start with a 168-run win over North Zone in Bogra.
Batting first, South were in trouble at 76 for 6 when Irfan Sukkur led them out of the hole with 93 off 188 balls with nine fours and a six. He added 102 runs for the seventh wicket with Sumon Khan, who made 44 in just under three hours. Medium-pacer Nahid Rana led the bowling charge for North with 4 for 60.
But then North were blown away for 111 with quick bowler Hasan Mahmud and left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam taking four wickets each.
Armed with a 111-run lead, South's batters dominated the bowling again, scoring at over three-and-a-half runs an over to get to 269 and set North 381 to win. The left-hand pair of Pinak Ghosh and Fazle Mahmud added 109 runs for the third wicket for South. Fazle missed out on a century when he fell on 95, while Pinak made 66. Sunzamul Islam took four wickets for North.
North made a good start in the fourth innings, but they slipped from a strong 167 for 2 to be bowled out for 212. Tanzid Hasan and Tawfique Khan made fifties, Nazmul and Hasan once again ran through their batting by sharing seven wickets.