Abahnai Limited won a thriller against Gazi Group Cricketers in the Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier Division Twenty20 Cricket League on Monday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Abahani needed to score 52 off the last 30 balls of their second match of the Super League phase with five wickets in hand. Right-arm pacer Mukidul Islam conceded 21 runs with two sixes and two wides. This over eventually proved to be a turning point of the match for Abahani.
Mahmudullah made the job of Abahani tough taking two wickets off 18 overs, removing Afif Hossain and Mohammad Saifuddin off two consecutive deliveries. He, however, conceded nine runs with one six.
Mukidul conceded nine runs off the 19th over as well. Off the fifth ball this over, Mahedi Hasan’s sloppy fielding cost Gazi Group four runs, and in the last over, Abahani needed only nine, which they have achieved with one wicket in hand and one ball to play.
Abahani won the toss in this match and sent Gazi Group to bat first. They posted a moderate total of 130 all out in 19.1 overs, with Soumya Sarkar hitting the highest 30.
Zakir Hasan and Mominul Haque added 27 and 25 respectively, but that was not enough for Gazi Group to post a big total.
For Abahani, Saifuddin bagged four wickets conceding 18 runs in four overs while Mehedi Hasan Rana took three wickets for 32 runs in four overs.
In reply, Abahani lost in-form opener Munim Shahriar for a duck while the other opener, Liton Das, added only 22 runs. Mushfiqur Rahim, Mosaddek Hossain, and Mohammad Naim also failed to do well.
But Najmul Hossain Shanto was firm at one end of the wicket. He kept the scoreboard afloat for Abahani scoring 58 off 49 balls with four fours and two sixes. Afif Hossain scored 14 off 18 balls, which helped Abahani get close to the win, and in the end, they won the game.
For Gazi Group, Mukidul scalped three wickets for 38 runs while Mahedi and Mahmudullah took two wickets each.
Earlier, Abahani won their first Super League match against Mohammedan by 60 runs while Gazi Group’s first Super League match against Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club was washed away on the scheduled day, which is now rescheduled for June 22.
In the first match of the day, riding on the fifty of Saif Hassan and the wonderful bowling effort of Rejaur Rahman Raja, Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club beat Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by six wickets.
Raja took three wickets to wrap up Shiekh Jamal for 123 for nine in 20 overs while Saif hit 60 to chase down the target of 124 in 17.4 overs. Mohammad Ashraful took two wickets for Sheikh Jamal, but that effort was not enough for them to avoid a defeat.
Source: United News of Bangladesh