North Zone new BCL champions

The BCB North Zone clinched the title of Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) for the first time after making a draw with Islami Bank East Zone in the last match on the 4th and final day of the country’s first class cricket tournament at Khan Saheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah on Wednesday.
Prime Bank South finished runners-up in the 5th edition of the league after playing a draw with last time champions Walton Central Zone on the 4th and final day at Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan (BKSP) ground-3 in Savar on Wednesday.
On completion of all the six league matches, BCB North Zone emerged champions securing 22 points with two wins and four draws while Prime Bank South Zone became 2nd collecting 16 points with one win and five draws, Islami Bank East Zone placed 3rd with 13 points and Walton Central Zone finished 4th and last securing 10 points.
In Fatullah, table topper BCB North Zone, having 374 runs in the first innings, resumed the 2nd innings on Wednesday morning with their overnight total of 239 for 6 and declared the innings at 295 for 8 in 79 overs.
Number five batsman Nazmul Hossain Shanta, who was in batting with 91 runs, completed the century and remained not out on 122 runs off 193 deliveries with the help of 12 boundaries.
Another overnight batsman Alauddin Babu (6) scored 32-ball 16 runs hitting one four and a six, tail-ender Sanzamul Islam made not out 15 runs off 11 balls featuring one boundary and one over boundary apart from Nasir Hossain’s 63 and Junaid Siddique’s 40 runs made on the 3rd day (Tuesday).
All rounder Farhad Hossain of the North Zone, who scored 108 runs and captured three wickets for 38 runs in the first innings, was adjudged man of the match.
Mohammad Saifuudin, who grabbed four wickets for 55 runs in the first innings, displayed his brilliance in the 2nd innings too taking three wickets for 66 runs while Abu Jayed took two wickets for 45 runs.
Chasing a target of 454 runs, Islami Bank East Zone (216 in the first innings) opened the 2nd innings and scored 128 for 3 in 36 overs when the bails were drawn for the final day.
Tasamul Haque (not out 44), Ifran Sukkur (25), Rahatul Ferdous (21) and Yasir Ali (18) were the main contributors for the East Zone.
Pacer Shafiul Islam claimed two wickets for 37 runs while Farhad Reza took one for 12.
At BKSP ground in Savar, replying to South Zone’s mammoth first inning total of 749 for 8 (declared) featuring two double centuries by Tushar Iman (217) and Shahriar Nafees (207) and century by Mohammad Mithun (131), Walton Central Zone opened the first innings with overnight score of 184 for 3 and were all out for 415 runs in 143.5 overs.
Later, Shahriar Nafees was adjudged man of the match.
Overnight opening batsman Sadman Islam (63) hammered a century scoring 113 runs, playing 330 balls with the help of 17 boundaries, number six Taibur Rahman contributed a polished 90 runs off 124 balls, featuring nine fours and two sixes.
Besides, Shuvagato Hom (23), Mosharraf Hossain (23), Nurul Hasan (22) and Tanvir Hyder (13) were main scorers for Central Zone.
Nazmul Islam picked up four wickets for 100 runs while Al Amin Hossain and Abdur Razzak took two wickets each giving away 47 and 139 runs respectively.
In reply, South Zone opened the 2nd innings in late afternoon and scored 33 for no loss in 2 overs with Tushar Imran and Nahidul Islam batting on 28 and four runs respectively.