BCB North Zone will lock horns with Prime Bank South Zone in the final of the second edition of the Bangladesh Cricket League at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium today.
North Zone has been the only side which has failed to attract any franchise since the first season of the tournament. This prompted the Bangladesh Cricket Board to take charge of the team and remarkable to say the least, this side has performed well beyond expectation by qualifying for the final in both the seasons.
North Zone suffered a convincing defeat against Walton Central Zone in the final of the previous season. However, North Zone defeated the same opponent in the third round this season to confirm a berth in the final which happens to be the only five-day game of the competition. While South Zone, the other finalist who was sitting third in the points table at the end of the second round game, was the first to book a place in the final by defeating Islami Bank East Zone.
The battle between the spinners from both sides promises to make the final interesting. North Zone’s left-arm spinner Taijul Islam is leading the chart with 27 wickets in five innings. It was his 11 wickets against Central Zone in the previous game which proved to be deciding factor behind his side’s victory while South Zone skipper Abdur Razzak is in third position among the highest wicket takers with 19 wickets in six innings. Sohag Gazi, Razzak’s colleague has also been effective by picking up 14 wickets from six innings.
As far as batting is concerned, the potential duel will be between North Zone’s Farhad Reza and South Zone’s Mithun Ali. Farhad has amassed 327 runs so far from five innings with a century and a half century to find himself in the second spot amongst the highest run-getters. Mithun Ali, on the other hand, lies third with 290 runs from five innings with a century and two half-centuries.
Both the team took their pre-match preparations at the Sahara-BCB Academy field yesterday. The North Zone will be led by Nasir Hossain in place of Mushfiqur Rahim who is suffering from viral hepatitis.
“We will have to play the best possible cricket to win against Prime Bank (South Zone),” said Nasir to the media yesterday. Nasir, who is not in his best form at the moment, informed that it won’t be an added pressure to lead the team. “I am not thinking that much and there is no pressure on me as the captain to be honest. There are many senior players in the team and they are helping me in every way possible,” Nasir explained.