In the first-round matches of the Independence Cup, a 50-over event involving the teams of the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL), Walton Central Zone and BCB North Zone won their respective matches in Sylhet on Sunday. Central Zone, who won the longer version edition of BCL this year, beat Islami Bank East Zone by 22 runs in a low-scoring affair at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. East Zone won the toss and sent Central Zone to bat first, who posted 177 all out in 43.2 overs with Mohammad Mithun scoring the highest 37. Along with him, Mizanur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan also did well with the bat posting 36 and 35 respectively. For East Zone, right-arm pacers Rubel Hossain, and Rejaur Rahman Raja bagged three wickets each while Tanvir Islam took one wicket. Also read: Pumped-up Tigers aim for monumental series win against Blackcaps In reply, East Zone tumbled for 155 despite two 30-plus scores by Rony Talukdar and Irfan Sukkur. They managed to set in the middle but failed to carry on. Mohammad Ashraful suffered a duck while Imrul Kayes posted 25 for them. For Central Zone, Shakib, Hasan Murad and Soumya Sarkar bagged two wickets each while Abu Hider Rony and Mosaddek Hossain took one wicket each. Also read: Series win against New Zealand to inspire future Tigers: Domingo In the other match of the day at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium Academy Ground, South Zone batted first and scored 162 with a fifty by Towhid Hridoy, and 47 from Pinak Ghosh. For North Zone, Sunzamul Islam and Shafiqul Islam scalped three wickets each while Naeem Islam bagged two. In reply, opener Parvez Hossain Emon and Naeem hit a half-century each to guide South Zone to an eight-wicket win. While Parvez fell for 54 off 54 balls, Naeem remained unbeaten for 66.

Farhad Reza grabbed four wickets inside just 14 runs in the final of the Bangladesh Cricket League between BCB South Zone and Walton Central Zone on Monday, probing once again his credentials as one of best all-rounders in domestic play. Before his late outburst with the ball on day two, Zakir Hasan of BCB South Zone scored the fourth First-calls ton in his last five innings in the format. He ended up on unbeaten 107, and riding on his century and fifties from Anamul Haque, Pinak Ghosh and Farhad Reza, South Zone amassed a challenging 387 in the first innings of the match at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Also read: Unfazed by names, I played deliveries, Mahmudul says after his maiden fifty vs NZ Losing their last five wickets, South Zone added up 126 runs to their overnight total of 261. At the end of day one, Zakir and Farhad were unbeaten for 44 and 46 respectively. While Zakir added 63 more to his innings, Farhad ended on 71 adding 25 more runs. In the sixth wicket stand, Zakir and Farhad added 119 runs to the board. For Central Zone, left-arm spinner Hasan Murad scalped five wickets— his fifth five-wicket haul in the format. Shuvagata Hom and Abu Hider Rony bagged three and two wickets respectively. Also read: Bangladesh hold firm after imperious batting display While replying to South Zone’s first innings, Central Zone’s top order fell prey to Farhad. He bagged four wickets before Central Zone posted 20 runs on the board. But in the unbeaten fifth wicket, Mohammad Mithun and Shuvagata amassed 168 runs and helped the team score 184 for four at the end of day two. Central Zone are trailing by 203 runs. Mithun remained unbeaten for 102, and Shuvagata for 67. It was the second century of Mithun in this year’s BCL. On both occasions, Mithun batted as an opener— his newest role in professional cricket.

Left-arm spinner Hasan Murad of Walton Central Zone bagged six wickets conceding 74 runs to help his team  win by an innings and  70 runs against BCB North Zone in the ongoing Bangladesh Cricket League on Wednesday at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.  To avoid the innings defeat, North Zone needed to score at least 172 runs on the fourth and final day of the match. Read:Bangladesh spin-bowling coach tests positive for COVID in New Zealand Marshal Ayub, the captain of BCB North Zone, hit a ton in the second innings of his team, but that was not enough to avoid a big defeat.  North Zone ended up on 274 for all out in the second innings after scoring 210 in the first innings. In contrast, Central Zone scored 563 for three in their only innings of the match riding on the centuries of Mohammad Mithun, Mizanur Rahman and Soumya Sarkar. Murad’s six for 74 is now his best bowling figure in First-class cricket. He now has 49 wickets in this format in just nine matches.  In the other match of the first round, BCB South Zone beat Islami Bank East Zone by eight wickets on Wednesday in Rajshahi.  East Zone had managed an 88-run lead in the second innings. South Zone chased down in 20.3 overs with a fifty by Towhid Hridoy. He remained unbeaten for 54 off 60 balls. Read: BCL: Central Zone eye a win as Soumya hits a ton In the first innings of the match, East Zone posted 260 all out as Mahedi Hasan and Nasum Ahmed of South Zone bagged five wickets each.  In reply, South Zone posted 429 in their first innings riding on 158 by left-handed wicketkeeper batter Zakir Hasan. Along with him, Anamul Haque Bijoy hit 88.  East Zone tumbled for 257 as Nahidul Islam bagged four wickets, and Nasum Ahmed and Mahedi Hasan scalped two wickets each. In the final innings, South Zone needed only 89 to seal the match. 

Mohammad Mithun hit 176 in the first round of the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) on Monday at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. Mithun and his opening partner Mizanur Rahman added a mammoth 327 in the opening stand with Mizanur hitting 162. At the end of day two, Walton Central Zone posted 430 for two against BCB North Zone with Soumya Sarkar and Salman Hossain Emon remaining not out for 39 and 40 respectively. Earlier, BCB North Zone posted 210 for all wickets in the first innings of the match with Parvez Hossian Emon hitting the highest 46 for them. For Walton Central Zone, Robiul Hoque scalped three wickets and Shuvagata Home took two. Also read: Ashraful hits a fifty, Nasum, Mahedi take five each as BCL kicks off At the end of day two, Walton Central Zone led by 211 runs with eight wickets in hand. “I just wanted to play according to my strength,” Mithun, who opened the innings for the first time in BCL, told in a video message. “Mizanur also played a wonderful innings. When we started well, we wanted to make it as big as possible. We are happy that we could put a big partnership. We will try our best to play like we started and go match by match.” Mithun has recently lost his national team place for his prolonged bad patch in the middle. According to some sources, Mithun was advised to open the innings in the longer version matches by head coach of the national team Russell Domingo. If Mithun can continue to do well at the opening slot, he might get a comeback call to the national team, at least for the longer version of cricket. In the other match of the first round, BCB South Zone are leading by 28 runs with four wickets in hand. Riding on 88 by Anamul Haque Bijoy and 91 not-out by Zakir Hasan, BCB South Zone scored 288 for six in 82 overs at the end of day two in reply to Islami Bank East Zone’s 260 for all wickets. For Islami Bank, right-arm spinner Nayeem Hasan bagged three wickets while Mohammad Ashraful, who hit a fifty with the bat, took two wickets. Earlier, in the first innings of the match, Nasum Ahmed and Mahedi Hasan of BCB South Zone bagged five wickets each to wrap up Islami Bank East Zone for 260.

BCB South Zone poised for the 5th title of the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) taking a comfortable 338 runs lead over Islami Bank East Zone on the 3rd day of the five-day final at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in the port city here on Monday.

Islami Bank East Zone trail by 376 runs with seven first innings wickets still in hand against four time-champions BCB South Zone at stumps on day 2 of the five-day Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) final, at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium here on Sunday.

BCB South Zone have an uphill task to score 348 runs on the last day on Monday with six wickets in hand to post a win against Walton Central Zone in the 3rd round match of Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) at the academy ground of Sheikh Kamal International Stadium in Cox’s Bazar.

The first day of the third round of ongoing Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) saw Mushfiqur Rahim and Marshall Ayub smashing tons and off-spinner Nayeem Hasan recording the second eight-wicket haul of his career.

Former Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim and top order batsman Imrul Kayes have been declared fit to play by the medical team of the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

Islami Bank East Zone earned a comfortable innings and nine runs victory over Walton Central Zone on the 4th and final day during the first round of Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Monday.