Batsmen across the country ran riot on the third day of the sixth and final round of the National Cricket League, which witnessed a total of two double hundreds and five centuries yesterday.
Rangpur Division's Nasir Hossain smashed his second double hundred and is eyeing his maiden triple as he is set to resume today on a mammoth 270 off 467 balls after six hours of batting yesterday against Barisal in the Tier-1 game at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong. Rakibul Hasan is the only Bangladeshi to score a triple hundred when he hit 313 for Barisal against Sylhet in 2007.
Ariful Haque, who had a good Bangladesh Premier League recently, scored his fifth hundred and was dismissed after scoring 162 off 290 balls with 10 fours and two sixes. The Nasir-Ariful pair added 368 for the third wicket, the third-highest partnership in the NCL, as Rangpur ended the day on 570 for five with a first-innings lead of 235 runs.
Barisal's bowlers had a tough day at the office with left-arm spinner Monir Hossain bagging three wickets.
In the other Tier-1 game between Khulna and Dhaka at BKSP-3, wicketkeeper-batsman Anamul Haque kept reminding the national selectors of his abilities by smashing his second double hundred of the edition. The right-hander was dismissed after scoring 202 off 251 balls, which featured 23 boundaries and four sixes. Young Mahedi Hasan was dismissed on 177 for the second time in the ongoing NCL, having been dismissed on his highest first-class score earlier in the second round against Barisal.
The right-hander scored a rather quickfire 177 off 160 balls with 21 fours and two sixes and along with Anamul added 295 for the second wicket. Table-toppers Khulna are inching towards the title and declared the innings on 459 for eight. Dhaka will resume the final day on 169 for four in their second innings, trailing by 177 runs.
In the Tier 2 game between Rajshahi and Dhaka Metro at the Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi, openers Nazmul Hossain and Mizanur Rahman added 341 runs -- a record opening partnership in Bangladesh domestic cricket as the home team, who have already confirmed their promotion to Tier-1, moved into the driving seat.
Left-hander Nazmul was unlucky to be dismissed just six runs shy of his maiden double hundred, playing 296 balls with 21 fours, while his partner Mizanur struck his third consecutive century of the league before departing for 175 off 210 deliveries with 30 fours and two sixes.
Left-arm spinner Nihad Uz Zaman picked up three wickets for Metro as Rajshahi will resume the final day on 460 for five, leading by 132 runs.
At the Sylhet International Stadium, Yasir Ali smashed his third first-class ton as Chittagong took the first-innings lead over the home side and declared the innings on 380 for seven in the other Tier-2 game. Yasir was not out on 102 off 176 balls while Sayeed Sarkar added 76.
Sylhet who have already lost two wickets, will resume the second innings on 78 and with a deficit of 380.
Khulna have already been confirmed as champions for the second year in a row. With Rajshahi already promoted, Dhaka are under threat of relegation if they lose the ongoing match against Khulna, and that seems a possibility as they have just six wickets in the bank on the last day, which they will start with a deficit of 177.
KHULNA DIV VS DHAKA DIV
DHAKA: 113 all-out and 169 for 4 in 66 overs (Rakibul 58, Taibur 35 not out; Mahedi 1-19, Mustafizur 1-20)
KHULNA: 459 for 8 declared in 91 overs ( Anamul 202, Mahedi 177; Sharif 3-70, Shuvagata 3-81) Dhaka trail by 177 runs
RANGPUR VS BARISAL
BARISAL: 335 all-out in 93.5 overs (Gazi 99, Nuruzzaman 51, Al Amin 50; Subashis 3-54, Tanbir 3-53)
RANGPUR: 570 for 5 in 166 overs ( Nasir 270 not out, Ariful 162; Monir 3-151) Rangpur lead by 235 runs
RAJSHAHI VS DHAKA METRO
METRO: 328 all-out in 90.3 overs (Sadman 75, Marshal 67; Taijul 5-105)
RAJSHAHI: 460 for 5 in 100.2 overs ( Nazmul 194, Mizanur 175; Nihad 3-153) Rajshahi lead by 132 runs
SYLHET VS CHITTAGONG
CHITTAGONG: 215 all-out and 380 for 7 declared in 106 overs (Yasir 102 not out, Sayeed 76 ; Enamul 3-131)
SYLHET: 137 and 78 for 2 in 34.1 overs ( Sayem 48, Shanaj 18; Saifuddin 1-12) Sylhet trail by 380 runs
