Mohammedan polished off Young Cricketers

Tons from Ehsanul Haque and Habibul Bashar brought Mohammedan full points as they won the match by a huge margin of 239 runs again Young Cricketers in GrameenPhone Premier League today held in Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium.

It was a woeful day for the Young Cricketers bowlers as their captain won the toss and sent their mighty opponents to bat first in a slightly rain affected pitch. However, the pacers from the fielding side were unsuccessful against the Mohammedan top-order. The opening pair Shabbir Khan and Ehsanul Haque managed 55 runs from the first 8 overs, which suggests how aggressive they were in their lines of attack.

Shabbir Khan, opened in the absence of Rashedul-Haq, departed with 32 that included 6 slashing boundaries in it. Then Ehsanul and Habibul Bashar built up a 192-run rapport between them that took the score to 237. Bashar, the more aggressive of the two, scored 93 runs off just 76 deliveries. His slammed 6 fours and 3 massive sixes in this process. Sohel Rana broke the partnership by eliminating Bashar, who was nearing his hundred without being watchful at all at those moments.

Sohel got Ehsanul's precious wicket too when the right-hander offered a simple catch to Imran Ahmed; but before that he notched up 110 that came off just facing 122 balls featured with 11 scintillating boundaries. Some brief but useful cameo innings from Steve Tikolo (26) and Taposh Kumar (15) took Mohammedan off to 300-figure landmark.

None among the Young Cricketers bowlers could claim success except Sohel Rana, who finished with 3 for 50 in his 9 overs. The match had a delayed start due to overnight rain, therefore, was reduced to 45 overs instead of 50.

Chasing a virtually unreachable target of 311, the Mirpur based club stumbled almost immediately as they started off. Taposh Kumar Baiso, the strike bowler for Mohammedan who won the man-of-the-match in the previous game, struck another blow upon the weak batting order of his rivals. Young cricketers lost 8 wickets with the score on just 39.

Later Nadeem Sazzad, their wicket keeper and the only man to reach the double figure, put some resistance against Taposh, Rafique and Shafiuddin Ahmed. He top scored 23 with a couple of boundaries in it. The club was forced to pack up with 71 on their board from 26.5 overs.

Taposh mopped up with a 5-wicket haul from his stipulated 9 overs. Mohammed Rafique claimed 2 for 19. Ehsanul Haq and Taposh Kumar were jointly adjudged for the man-of-the-match for their vital roles in both innings.