The first round of Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) matches were held from April 21 to 24. North Zone comfortably beat South Zone by ten wickets while East Zone completed a comprehensive win by an innings and 53 runs against Central Zone. Here were the highlights from the two games
Amite Hasan made a strong claim to a maiden Test call-up after his 162 helped East Zone trounce Central Zone. Amite was playing as a concussion substitute following Jaker Ali's injury, after the management initially dropped him from the playing XI.
Amite struck 18 fours in his six hours and 42 minutes at the crease and faced 265 balls at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. He added 161 runs for the fourth wicket with Mushfiqur Rahim, who made 83. Amite also put on 107 runs for the fifth wicket with Yasir Ali, who finished unbeaten on 79. It helped East score 463 and earn a 156-run first innings lead. Central were then blown away for 103 runs in just 28 overs, a weak showing after posting 307 in their first innings. Ebadot Hossain took four wickets in the third innings while Khaled Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud took five wickets between them.
At the Academy ground next door, North Zone crushed South Zone courtesy centuries from Pritom Kumar and the captain Akbar Ali. Their tons propped North Zone to 426, taking a lead of 112 runs in the first innings after South had posted 314.
Pritom and Akbar added 233 runs for the fourth wicket, after they slipped to 53 for 3. Pritom's 155 was his fifth first-class ton and the wicketkeeper-batter struck 16 fours and two sixes in his 203-ball stay.
Akbar, who led Rangpur Division to the NCL first-class and T20 titles, struck his third first-class century. His 121 came with 15 fours and two sixes. For South, fast bowler Sofor Ali took 5 for 99, his fourth five-wicket haul, and second in successive first-class matches.
Fast bowler Robiul Haque then ripped through the South line-up, finishing with figures of 5 for 53, bowling them out for 172. Sabbir Hossain then slammed an unbeaten 54 off 35 balls with North chasing only 61.
