NCL Round-Up: Rakibul and Mridha Star in Dhaka Metropolis Victory Over Rajshahi; Sylhet Clinches Win Over Chattogram
Sylhet Division, led by Pinak Ghosh’s unbeaten 62, chased down 220 to defeat Chattogram Division by six wickets. Despite trailing by 46 runs after the first innings, Sylhet responded strongly in their second innings.
Dhaka Metropolis defeated Rajshahi Division by ten wickets, earning consecutive wins to kick off the National Cricket League (NCL) season. Left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan recorded his career-best figures of 8 for 56 in Rajshahi’s second innings, while left-arm quick Maruf Mridha’s 6 for 22 in the first innings put Rajshahi on the back foot from the start.
Rajshahi, batting first, collapsed to 77 all out, with No. 10 batter Mohor Sheikh top-scoring with just 19 runs. Dhaka Metropolis responded with 233, highlighted by Shamsur Rahman’s 64 in his 150th first-class match. Rajshahi’s second innings didn’t fare much better, bowled out for 166 with Rakibul dominating the attack. Dhaka easily chased down the 14-run target in just 2.1 overs.
Sylhet Division, led by Pinak Ghosh’s unbeaten 62, chased down 220 to defeat Chattogram Division by six wickets. Despite trailing by 46 runs after the first innings, Sylhet responded strongly in their second innings. Tawfique Khan also contributed a fifty, and Sylhet achieved their target in just over 40 overs. Earlier, Chattogram's Yasir Ali top-scored with 73, while Ifran Hossain’s five-wicket haul troubled Sylhet. However, Chattogram’s second innings ended at 173, with Sylhet’s Nayeem Ahmed and Rejaur Rahman taking three wickets each.
Dhaka Division, aided by Ashiqur Rahman’s maiden first-class century, managed to draw against Rangpur Division. Rangpur initially posted 253, with Nazmul Islam taking four wickets for Dhaka. Ashiqur’s 129 off 186 balls, featuring ten fours and five sixes, alongside Joyraz Sheik’s 87, pushed Dhaka’s total to 327. Rangpur held their ground in the remaining overs, with Naeem Islam’s 75 across nearly five hours of play helping secure the draw.
Rain impacted the match between Khulna Division and Barishal Division, which also ended in a draw. Khulna’s batting lineup saw contributions from Anamul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Amit Majumder, and Mahedi Hasan, with Soumya’s emotional reaction to being run-out after a mix-up with Anamul becoming a memorable moment. Khulna declared at 408 for 9, while Barishal, led by Abdul Mazid’s resilient century, reached 287 for 3 when play was halted. Mazid’s innings, lasting almost six hours, included 15 boundaries.
