DPL title race goes right down to the wire

Table-topper Abahani Limited and third-placed Lt. Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club will fight it out for the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League 2017-18 season title in the 16th and final round. Abahani are only a win away from emerging as the champion. They registered a convincing 127-run victory over surprise package Khelaghar Samaj Kalyan Samity Monday to stretch their lead at the top of the points table. With 22 points from 15 matches, Abahani are at the summit. In order to become the champion, Abahani have no option but to win their last game of the season, against Legends of Rupganj Thursday. Sheikh Jamal, who will take on Khelaghar in the last round on the same day, are sitting joint second in the standing with 20 points, along with Rupganj. A win in the last game, along with an Abahani defeat, will see Sheikh Jamal and the Sky Blues both stuck on 22 points. However, it will be Sheikh Jamal who will emerge as the champion due to a better head to head equation.Abahani v Khelaghar, MirpurNazmul Hossain Shanto and Mehedi Hasan Miraz’s half-centuries and Mashrafe bin Mortaza’s three wickets inspired Abahani to a comprehensive win against Khelaghar. Asked to bat first, Abahani posted 241 in 46.3 overs, guided by Shanto’s 54 and Miraz’s 44-ball 50. Khelaghar pacer Abdul Halim bagged four wickets. Later, Khelaghar were dismissed for only 114 in 27.3 overs. Mashrafe picked up three wickets while Taskin Ahmed, Nasir Hossain and Sandip Roy notched two apiece. Mashrafe in the game emerged as the highest wicket-taker in the league. With 38 wickets in 15 matches so far, the right-arm pacer surpassed the previous record of left-arm paceman Abu Haider Rony, who had previously taken 35 wickets in a single List A season.

Also read: Mashrafe makes List A record his own

Sk Jamal v Doleshwar, BKSPTanbir Hayder’s all-round performance kept Sheikh Jamal alive in the championship race as the Dhanmondi-based outfit recorded a nail-biting 10-run win against Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club in a low-scoring affair. Chasing 184, Doleshwar were all out for 173 in 48.2 overs, thanks to Sheikh Jamal leg-spinner Tanbir’s four-wicket haul, along with contributions from the other bowlers. Fazle Mahmud and Arafat Sunny’s identical 35s were the best scores of Doleshwar’s chase. Earlier, a late debacle saw Sheikh Jamal, taking first guard, post only 183 on the board in 38 overs. Tanbir added an unbeaten 43 while Ziaur Rahman made 39.Rupganj v Gazi Group, FatullahRupganj registered a dominating eight-wicket win over Gazi Group Cricketers. Asked to bat first, Gazi Group could only post 152 as the Rupganj bowlers, led by Mohammad Shahid’s four-wicket haul, bundled the opposition out in 45.4 overs. Jahurul Islam’s 31 was the best score of Gazi Group’s innings. Rupganj later chased down the below-par target in 22.5 overs as Avishek Mitra and Mohmammad Naim added unbeaten 57 and 45 respectably. Naim in his 34-ball innings hammered five boundaries and two over boundaries. Avishek remained not out, facing 61 deliveries and slamming five fours and two sixes, to steer Rupganj to victory.DPL, SUPER LEAGUEKhelaghar 114 in 27.3 overs (Mashrafe 3/32, Sandip 2/5) lost to Abahani 241 in 46.3 overs (Shanto 54, Abdul 4/10) by 127 runsRupganj 153/2 in 22.5 overs (Avishek 57*, Naim 45) beat Gazi Group 152 in 45.4 overs (Jahurul 31, Shahid 4/26) by eight wicketsDoleshwar 173 in 48.2 overs (Arafat 35*, Tanbir 4/31) lost to Sk Jamal 183 in 38 overs (Tanbir 43*, Zakaria 3/10) by 10 runs SUPER LEAGUETeams M W L T Pts NRRAbahani 15 11 4 0 22 0.868Rupganj 15 10 5 0 20 0.507Sk Jamal 15 10 5 0 20 0.251Doleshwar 15 7 7 1 15 -0.157Gazi Group 15 7 8 0 14 -0.254Khelaghar 15 7 8 0 14 -0.381 WEDNESDAY'S MATCHRelegation leagueAgrani Bank v Brothers, BKSP 3The game will start at 9am