Rangpur jumped to third position in the points table following an innings and one run win over Rajshahi on the fourth and final day in the 16th National Cricket League yesterday.
Dhaka Metro on the other hand moved to fourth after a 135-run victory over second-bottom Sylhet while the other two matches of the fifth round ended in draws.
Rajshahi v Rangpur, BKSP 3
Rangpur’s left-arm seamer Sajedul Islam bagged four wickets as Rajshahi were dismissed for 263, just like the first inning, to give the former a comfortable victory.
Following on, Rajshahi resumed the final day’s play on 85/1 but were only able to add 178 more before losing all of their remaining nine wickets.
Muktar Ali struck an unbeaten 70 for Rajshahi but he lacked support from the other end as they finished a run behind Rangpur’s first-inning tally of 527/6 declared.
Dhaka Metro v Sylhet, SBNS
A joint effort by the Dhaka Metro bowlers saw Sylhet getting bundled out for 222, chasing 357 for victory.
Needing a further 324 for a win, Sylhet began the day’s proceedings on 33/1. However, the Dhaka Metro bowlers grabbed wickets at regular intervals to unsettle the opposition.
Paceman Sharifullah scalped three wickets while four bowlers picked up a wicket apiece to land a 135-run win for Dhaka Metro.
Dhaka v Khulna, Fatullah
Table-toppers Khulna, resuming on 437/6, added 163 more runs before declaring their first inning on 600/9. In the process, Khulna accumulated a lead of 234 runs with Ziaur Rahman scoring 110 off 139 balls with the help of 11 fours and five sixes. Later, Dhaka batted 45 overs and put on 216 for the loss of two wickets before the umpires decided to end the game in a draw. Openers Abdul Majid (104) and Rony Talukder (78) cut down the lead to 18.
Barisal v Chittagong, BKSP 2
Tasamul Haque (120*) and Irfan Shukkur’s (104*) unbeaten centuries helped table-proppers Chittagong to avoid defeat as their four-dayer against Barisal ended in a draw. The port city outfit scored 324/3 in 97 overs in their second inning and managed a 66-run lead over Barisal, who put up a huge 597/9 declared in their first essay.