Bangladesh: Minhaz's ton lifts Tarun, MSC survive on maturity (18 December 1998)

18 December 1998

Bangladesh: Minhaz's ton lifts Tarun, MSC survive on maturity

Our Sports Reporter

There was no upset on the card in the Janakantha Premier Division cricket league as title-contenders Mohammedan Sporting Club, Bangladesh Biman and Surjo Tarun defeated their respective opponents comfortably at different venues yesterday.

At the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium, Surjo Tarun, aided by a brilliant century from Minhazul Abedin, recorded a huge 103-run win over promotees Orient Sporting Club.

Minhaz celebrated the Victory Day on Wednesday with a captain's knock of 117 off 171 balls to help Surjo Tarun pile up an impressive total of 295 all out in 78.5 overs. Minhaz clubbed nine fours in his 226-minute vigil at the crease.

In reply, Orient could muster only 192 before being bundled out in 73.1 overs yesterday.

For Mohammedan, Selim Shahed scored the second ton on the Victory Day, a disciplined 102 off 232 balls, to guide his club to a fighting 250 for nine in 80 overs against Agrani Bank at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. But not without the help of the Kenyan pair, who took six wickets.

Agrani Bank, in their chase yesterday, could manage only 168 before being all out in 66.3 overs.

At the BKSP in Savar, slow left-arm spinner Safiullah Gem returned with his second consecutive four-wicket haul to inspire Bangladesh Biman to a cake-walk ten-wicket win over Ajax Sporting Club.

Saifullah claimed four-wickets for 25 runs in his niggling 13.2 overs to shoot Ajax out for 162 in 62.2 overs on Wednesday. In reply, Biman reached 163 for no loss in 43.1 overs with openers Javed Omar and Ziaur Rashid making 84 and 53 runs respectively.

The match finished at the stroke of lunch yesterday.

Minhaz, who had a rather disappointing stint with Mohammedan last year, appeared in fine fettle with the new-look Surjo Tarun when the former national captain added up his match-winning 87 against Ajax in the previous match with a fluent hundred on Wednesday.

Surjo Tarun were off to a terrible start that produced 47 for four. The responsibility of salvaging his side rested on Minhaz. Coming in to bat at number six, he shared 68 runs for the fifth with Al-Shahriar, who fell one short of what would have been a well-deserved half-century.

Minhaz built up another useful partnership in the sixth wicket with Pakistani Arshad, who chipped in with 40, and the pair reaped 89 runs.

The experienced right-hander then put on a quick-fire 65 runs for the seventh wicket with national slow left-armer Enamul Haq.

With this ton Minhaz became the first local player to reach the magical three-figure mark after centuries from two Pakistanis - Shawkat Ali (114 not out) Tariq Mehmood (105).

Shahed, who was not named to start for Mohammedan in their first match against Wari, seemed to have rediscovered his former brilliant self after getting a lucky break as a replacement for young opener Sumon.

The stylish right-hander hammered seven fours in his watchful innings. But it was Steve Tikolo who returned as the unofficial man-of-the-match with a virtuoso all-round performance.

The stockily-built Kenyan scored a fluent 51 off 76 balls, inclusive of six fours and a huge sixer, and then went on to capture three wickets with his military medium. Although his compatriot Maurice Odumbe failed with the willow, the former Kenyan captain took three wickets for only 18 runs in his 10.3 overs.

Odumbe, who scored 88 in his Dhaka league debut against Wari, returned for a first-ball duck. He was caught at silly mid-off off promising spinner Russel.

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