Bangladesh: Happy outings for Bagan, Abahani (2 January 1999)

2 January 1999

Bangladesh: Happy outings for Bagan, Abahani

Our Sports Reporter

A superb spell of seam bowling by Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Saeed helped title aspirants Kalabagan restrict fancied Surjo Tarun Club to a cheap total on the first day of their Janakantha Premier Division cricket league encounter at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

In the other match of the day, Naimur Rahman smashed a brilliant hundred as holders Abahani piled up a commanding 391 against Ajax Sporting Club.

Opting to bat first, star-studded Surjo Tarun were bundled out for a meagre 187 in the face of an inspired Saeed who finished with five for 43 from 15 overs.

Saeed, the Lahore based cricketer who scored an unbeaten 127 against Ajax in their previous match, took four wicket in his first spell of 13 overs to send Surjo Tarun reeling at 97 for five with all of their recognised batsmen back in the dressing room.

Coming in as first change, Saeed removed opener Parvez in the eleventh over trapping the tall right-hander leg before on 16 to give Kalabagan their first break through.

One-down Al-Shahriar and opener Athar Ali then put on a 56-run partnership and took the score to 92 when Al-Shahriar, gave a return catch to off break bowler Fahim Muntasir Rahman after scoring 32 off 59 balls.

Surjo Tarun's hopes of for a reasonable score was halted abruptly as they lost three more wickets in the nineties all falling to Saeed.

Sri Lankan middle order Naveed Nawaz, who came to play for the Dhanmondi outfit on Thursday, had a bitter debut in the Dhaka cricket when he was magnificently yorked by Saeed for a duck. Saeed then trapped Athar Ali(37) leg before and sent back Minhazul Abedin caught behind for 1.

After Minahzul was out with the scoreboard reading 97 in the 31st over, Surjo Tarun could only add another 90 runs to their total before being all out in 71.2 overs.

For Tarun, only wicketkeeper Khaled Masood batted with some sense of responsibility and scored 48 runs off 123 balls.

In reply, Kalabagan were on 36 for one in 14 overs at close.

Away, at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium, Naimur, made a welcome return to form hammering 101 to steer Abahani to the massive total after Skipper Akram Khan had won the toss and opted to bat.

Coming to bat at number three with Abahani on nine for one in the third over, Naimur, who had so far struggled in the season, shared a 137-run partnership with inform opener Mehrab Hossain.

The partnership was broken when Mehrab was run out on 71. In his 83-ball stay, Mehrab clubbed ten boundaries.

After Mehrab's departure, Naimur put on 116 with Pakistani recruit Azam Khan before giving a return catch to Nayeem. His fine innings came from 160 balls inclusive of five fours and a sixer.

Among others, Azam Khan scored 74 runs while Hasibul Hossain flayed the Ajax bowlers to all parts of the ground in smashing a quickfire 50 off 32 balls which included five boundaries and two sixes.

Besides, skipper Akram Khan contributed with a workmanlike 48.

Both the matches will continue today.

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