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While New Zealand come into the match with a new captain and awell-deserved break after their run to the semi-final in the 50-over WorldCup, the Kenyans are probably ruing their decision to host a Twenty20quadrangular tournament in their own backyard; defeats against Pakistanand Bangladesh (though they did defeat the latter in the warm-ups) were probablyforgotten when Kenya went down to Uganda as well. New Zealand, with DanielVettori at the helm, are one of the more experienced sides in Twenty20terms though they will be without their influential captain Stephen Fleming, and threeother players from the World Cup team.Bat play: Brendon McCullum has given up his gloves toconcentrate on his batting in the tournament while Jacob Oram’spower-filled hitting looks all set to be utilised at the number threeposition. Scott Styris, New Zealand’s most experienced Twenty20 player andtheir best at the World Cup in the West Indies, will be the most feared bythe bowlers, fitness permitting.For Kenya, Steve Tikolo, as in recent years, stands as their best hope.Alex Obanda, the 19-year old is considered a promising prospect with Thomas Odoyo, the allrounder who was recently voted ICC AssociatePlayer of the Year, to follow down the order.Wrecking ball: While New Zealand have the likes of Shane Bond, who issupported by Mark Gillespie, Jacob Oram and Scott Styris, there will bespecial emphasis on Vettori and Jeetan Patel, their two frontlinespinners, to stem the flow of runs in the middle stages.Kenya, meanwhile, will once again rely on Odoyo and Tikolo with PeterOngondo, who recently impressed in the warm-ups, to provide support.Keep your eyes on: Jacob Oram’s prowess up the order will be a treat if hegets going, especially now that Chris Gayle has set the hard-hittingstandards in the opening match. In the reverse innings, Shane Bond, if atfull throttle, will be aiming for the base of middle stump.Pitching it right: The Kingsmead pitch is likely to be fast and bouncy, fodder for Bond and Oram. While minnows have made it a habit to turn the tables whenthe world is watching, this encounter lacks the ingredients for an upset. Kenya’s batting looks fragile against the fire-power that New Zealand possess.New Zealand(likely): Brendon McCullum, Lou Vincent, Peter Fulton,Jacob Oram, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Gareth Hopkins (wk), Daniel Vettori(capt), Shane Bond, Mark Gillespie, Jeetan PatelKenya(likely): David Obuya, Collins Obuya, Tanmay Mishra, SteveTikolo (capt), Thomas Odoyo, Alex Obanda, Jimmy Kamande, Rajesh Bhudia,Maurice Ouma (wk), Nehemiah Odhiambo, Peter Ongondo

Group A

The Lahore Lions pipped the Peshawar Panthers by one wicket, with one ball to spare, in a high-scoring thriler at the Arbab Niaz Stadium.After the Panthers lost two early wickets, opener Naved Khan made a patient 57 to steady the innings. Brisk fifties from the middle-order pair of Nawaz Ahmed and Akbar Badshah then put them on course for a big score. Nawaz scored 67 off 74 while Badshah was unbeaten on 81, which required only 73 deliveries. Jamaluddin chipped in with 43 as the Panthers finished on 287 for 6.Opener Shahnawaz Malik (73) and No. 3 Mohammad Saeed (46) set the platform for the chase, but Badshah and Hidayatullah Khan picked up two wickets apiece to reduce the Lions to 175 for 6. Ahmed Butt and Mohammad Hussain both contributed 40s to keep the Lions in the hunt. The final flourish was provided by No. 10 Mohammad Shahzad, who smashed three sixes in his 30 off 13 balls to see his side home.In Islamabad, Habib Bank Limited (HBL) completed a 67-run win over the Islamabad Leopards.HBL’s batsmen were guilty of failing to cash in on their starts, but they still managed to score 276. Aftab Alam top scored with 49, but from 231 for 9, it was the last-wicket pair that pushed their side to a challenging score. Again, it was a No. 10 who starred; Fahad Masood hit three sixes and two fours in his 23-ball 39.Leopards suffered two setbacks at the hands of Gul at the start of their reply, before Umair Khan (62) and Ameer Khan (55) did the repair job. But three wickets for the left-arm spinner Mohammad Aslam, coupled with three run-outs, saw the Leopards bundled out for 209 in 41.5 overs, well short of their target.Khan Research Laboratories continued their unbeaten run to stay on top of the group, posting a five-wicket win over the Quetta Bears in RawalpindiSaeed Ajmal took 4 for 50 as the Bears were restricted to 224. Shahzad Tareen and captain Nasim Khan made fifties but Ajmal triggered a mid-innings collapse. KRL captain Mohammad Wasim then anchored the chase with an unbeaten 81. Saeed Anwar jnr, his opening partner, made 33, while No. 6 Fahad-ul-Haq scored 47 at a run-a-ball as KRL reached their target with almost ten overs to spare. The Bears have lost all four games in the tournament so far.

Group B

In Sialkot, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) thrashed the Multan Tigers by 114 runs. Misbah-ul-Haq blitzed an unbeaten 125 off 89 deliveries as SNGPL racked up 307 after being put in. Mohammed Hafeez, the SNGPL captain and opener, laid the foundation with 17-year-old Umar Akmal after they had been reduced to 7 for 2. Both fell in the 60s, but Misbah took over to take SNGPL past 300. Kashif Naved conceded 25 off his only over.Opening bowler Asad Ali then took 4 for 23, while Hafeez chipped in with three wickets as the Tigers were dismissed for 193 in 43.4 overs. Usman Tariq top scored with 68 but there was little contribution from his team-mates and the Tigers fell to their third successive defeat.At the Sheikhupura Stadium, Water and Power Development Authority eased to a five-wicket win over the Hyderabad Hawks. Sarfraz Ahmed struck twice as the Hawks were reduced to 17 for 3. Despite captain Rizwan Ahmed’s 34 and a 61 from Shahid Qambrani, the Hawks managed only 160, as none of their other batsmen scored more than 15.Sunny Irshad’s 61 and Aamer Sajjad’s unbeaten 41 helped WAPDA reach their target in the 34th over. Nauman Ali picked up two of the five wickets to fall, conceding only 30 from his ten.

Group C

Sixteen-year-old Ahmed Shehzad scored an unbeaten 88 off 84 balls to steer the Lahore Eagles to an emphatic eight-wicket win over Pakistan Customs at the Gaddafi Stadium.Shehzad’s knock came after a disciplined bowling performance from the Eagles kept the Customs down to 201. Arsalan Mir grabbed 4 for 36 and Azam Khan and Sohail Ahmed took two wickets apiece as Pakistan Customs were all out in 46.1 overs. The Eagles in reply needed only 30.5 overs to overhaul their target.In Faisalabad, the script wasn’t too different. The Karachi Zebras chose to field and limited the Faisalabad Wolves to 200, a score they chased down in 36.2 overs and for the loss of only three wickets.Chinaman bowler Ahsan Baig, who was part of Pakistan Under-19 squad for the World Cup in Malaysia, took 3 for 47, while Fahad Khan and Afsar Nawaz picked a couple each. Shahzaib Hasan powered the chase with his 76, while Khalid Latif and Rameez Raja contributed 40s. For the Wolves, Saadat Munir had figures of 10-2-41-3.

Group D

In Karachi, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited also decided to field first, and restricted the Karachi Dolphins to 154, thanks to opening bowler Kashif Daud’s 4 for 16, supported by two-wicket hauls for Mohammad Khalil and Inam-ul-Haq.Inam-ul-Haq then opened the batting and remained unbeaten on a run-a-ball 66 as the target was achieved with seven wickets and nearly half the overs to spare. Afaq Raheem was the other not-out batsman, with his 54 coming off 40 deliveries.After a tense encounter with the Rawalpindi Rams in Karachi, group leaders Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) managed to extend their unbeaten streak with a 11-run win.PIA were off to a solid start after deciding to bat, with a century stand between openers Khurram Manzoor and Yasir Hameed. However, both fell in quick succession, and only 103 runs were put on for nine wickets. Hameed top scored with 59, while Mohammed Aamer scalped 3 for 40 off his ten overs. Yasir Ali and Babar Naeem took two wickets each as PIA were all out for 210, one ball short of their alloted 50 overs.Naeem then scored a brisk 56 in the Rams’ reply, but the next-best score among the top six was 15. Yasir Murtaza made a handy 42, and Under-19 player Mohammad Rameez’s unbeaten 28 at No. 10 was in vain as the Rams were bowled for 199, with 11 balls still to go in their innings. All the five PIA bowlers were among the wickets, with Najaf Shah and Nauman Alvi taking three each.In a game held on March 25, Junaid Khan’s 4 for 16, and three-wicket hauls for left-arm spinners Noor-ul-Amin and Khalid Usman set up a resounding nine-wicket win for the Abbottabad Rhinos against Sui Southern Gas Corporation (SSGC) in Karachi.SSGC decided to bat, but Junaid reduced them to 19 for 4. Saeed Bin Nazir, the SSGC captain, scored 42 as he revived the innings in a 67-run stand with Mohammad Zafar (13). Noor-ul-Amin and Khalid got into the act then, and quickly wrapped the innings as six wickets fell for 18 runs. In 9.3 overs, Noor-ul-Amin scalped 3 for 28, while Khalid had figures of 3 for 5 in his five as SSGC capitulated for 104 all out.Wajid Ali powered the Rhinos’ chase with an unbeaten 52. He put on a 77-run opening stand with wicketkeeper Ghulam Mohammad (30), and Usman Khan chipped in with 16 not out as the Rhinos reached their target in the 21st over to clinch their first win in four games.

Scorecard
Sohail Tanvir justified the Federal Areas’ stand-in captain Naved Ashraf’s decision to field first by taking five wickets to help bowl out Baluchistan for 253 at the National Stadium in Karachi. But Federal Areas conceded a bit of the advantage when they lost two quick wickets before the close of play to end the first day at 79 for 3.The Baluchistan openers Shoiab Khan and Usman Tariq walked out to bat in the three-hour first session and the duo added 41 runs before Shoiab was trapped by seamer Yasir Arafat for 25. Tanvir then took centre stage in a marathon 15-over opening spell, taking three wickets in succession to send Baluchistan crashing from 78 for 1 to 92 for 4. But Tariq scored a defiant half-century and added 73 runs for the fifth wicket with Nasim Khan (31) to stem the rot. But Baluchistan once again faltered, losing five wickets for the addition of 35 runs, with Tanvir claiming the vital wicket of Tariq for 68. Imranullah Aslam, the No. 10 batsman, then frustrated Federal Areas by striking an unbeaten 46-ball 51 which included nine fours, and adding 53 runs for the last wicket with Azharullah (20). Baluchistan’s innings came to a close when Azharullah was trapped by Saeed Anjwal, the only spinner to find any success on the first day.Federal Areas were in trouble just as they began their response when Kamran Hussain had Afaq Raheem caught behind for 2. Raheel Majeed and Fayaaz Ahmed pushed the score past fifty before Azharullah struck back with a double-strike: Ahmed was caught behind while Bazid Khan fell without scoring. But Majeed, who remained unbeaten on 42, and Usman Saeed, who struck a couple of fours on his way to 13, ensured there was no further damage.
Scorecard
Punjab’s star-studded batting line-up threatened to launch a run-fest, but none of their batsman, including Salman Butt, who top-scored with 72, were able to capitalise on their starts as they scored 295 for 7 on the first day against NWFP at the Gaddafi Stadium.Earlier NWFP found immediate success after choosing to bowl when Fazl-e-Akbar has Mohammad Hafeez caught behind by Zulfiqur Jan. But Butt turned things around by displaying the same sort of form that saw him make 290 against Federal Areas in the first round of the Pentangular Cup as he reached his half-century in a 60-run second-wicket stand with Nasir Jamshed (16). Akbar returned to remove Jamshed, but that brought Misbah-ul-Haq to the crease. But Misbah and Butt did not spend too much time together when the latter was run-out after a misunderstanding as Punjab stuttered to 112 for 3.Misbah then set about consolidating the innings as he scored 53 runs of 149 balls and adding 76 runs for the fourth wicket with Shoaib Malik (41). But once the duo were dismissed by Samiullah Khan and Shakell-ur-Rehman respectively, Kamran Akmal breezed his way to a 74-ball 40, striking six fours and a six to add some quick runs. Waqas Ahmed (12*) and Junaid Zia (10*) were then involved in an unbroken 25-run stand for the eighth wicket before stumps were drawn.

Mike Procter, the match referee who found Harbhajan Singh guilty of calling Andrew Symonds a “monkey” during the Sydney Test, relied on the evidence of three Australian players in reaching his decision, it has been revealed. Harbhajan was banned for three Tests for that offence but the sentence was suspended following an appeal, by the Indian team, which will be heard next week.In a leaked copy of his report on the hearing, Procter says: “I have heard evidence from Andrew Symonds, Michael Clarke and Matthew Hayden that he did say these words. Harbhajan Singh denies saying these words. Both umpires did not hear nor did Ricky Ponting or Sachin Tendulkar. I am satisfied and sure beyond reasonable doubt that Harbhajan Singh did say these words.”I am satisfied that the words were said and that the complaint to the umpires, which forms this charge, would not have been put forward falsely, I dismiss any suggestion of motive or malice.”Procter’s decision came late into the night of January 6, after Australia won a Test match that was mired in controversy and ended amid inflamed passions among players and public. The race issue apart, there were several contentious umpiring decisions, largely going against India, and visible tensions between the teams. The verdict itself created almost as much controversy as the incident; it was welcomed and criticised along national lines, the neutrals preferring to wait and see how Procter reached his decision, and these revelations are likely to stir up emotions again..Among those present at the hearing was Sachin Tendulkar, the other Indian batsman at the crease, but Procter indicates he would not have been within earshot of the incident. “It was submitted to me by Chetan Chauhan [the Indian team manager] that there was doubt because the umpires and other players did not hear the words but, in my judgment, they would not have been in a position to hear them,” Procter says. “I note that Sachin Tendulkar only became involved when he realised that something was happening and was gestured over. He tried to calm things down because something had happened that he did not hear.”The second issue he had to consider; Procter said, was whether Harbhajan used the words with the intention of insulting or offending him. “I am sure beyond reasonable doubt that the use of the word “monkey” or “big monkey” was said to insult or offend Andrew Symonds on the basis of his race, colour or ethnic origin.”While asserting that whatever may have been said between them prior to the exchange in question was irrelevant, Procter acknowledges there was a “history” between the two dating back to the one-day international in Mumbai late last year.”It is not relevant to my findings here to decide what happened in Mumbai. Nevertheless there was trouble in Mumbai when members of the crowd were arrested for using the word “monkey” and gesturing towards Andrew Symonds. This caused both Indian and Australian boards to issue a joint-statement. To this extent Mumbai is relevant to this hearing.”The spat between Harbhajan and Symonds took place on the third day of the second Test in Sydney, when India were batting. Symonds later revealed he approached Harbhajan after the Indian offspinner had tapped Brett Lee on the back with his bat.”I was standing nearby and when I saw what happened, I thought, ‘Hold on, that’s not on’,” Symonds told the : “I’m a firm believer in sticking up for your team-mate so I stepped in and had a bit of a crack at Harbhajan, telling him exactly what I thought of his antics. He then had a shot back, which brings us to the situation we’re facing.”Tendulkar and the umpires – Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor – intervened to defuse the situation, Benson covering his mouth while talking to Harbhajan to avoid lip-reading television viewers. The umpires reported Harbhajan to Procter after receiving a complaint from Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting, who was abiding by the ICC directives concerning racism.Following India’s appeal the ICC appointed New Zealand judge John Hansen to chair the hearing, which is slated to be held on January 29 and 30 in Adelaide.

Bollywood superstars Kareena Kapoor and Aamir Khan are likely to beassociated with teams in the unofficial Indian Cricket League, Cricinfo haslearnt. However, unlike the Indian Premier League, the ICL has ruled outhanded over ownership to the superstars.”Ever since our inaugural tournament we have seen some interest fromBollywood personalities and we are at an advanced stage of discussionswith a few of them,” Ashish Kaul, the executive vice-president of Essel Group, told Cricinfo.”This may involve owning a part of the stake, it may have to do withlong-term associations, or long-term sponsorships, tie-ups.”However, Kaul confirmed that the ICL were not changing their model andwould not hand over entire ownership to individuals. “Our cricket is notfor sale,” he said, “and we are not going to function with auctions.”Khan and Kapoor, it is learnt, are leading contenders to have long-termassociations with teams. Both may be marketed as the face of the team andused as ambassadors in sponsorships.Kapoor had performed at the opening ceremony of the inaugural edition of the ICL in Panchkula. The latest instalment of the ICL kicked off on March 9, with two new teams – increasing the total to eight – and is to be held at three venues, Panchkula, Hyderabad and Gurgaon, instead of one.

Scorecard

A counter-attacking 105 by Abhishek Nayar – a knock characteristic of reigning champions Mumbai – saw the visitors finish their first innings 111 runs ahead of Tamil Nadu in Chennai. At stumps on the second day, Tamil Nadu trailed by 81 runs for the loss of M Vijay’s wicket.The hosts stuck to the basics and put pressure on Mumbai’s top order with a disciplined performance but the momentum quickly shifted towards the visitors in the afternoon as Nayar propelled his side to 317. The left-hand batsman, a handy bowler as well, finally delivered, scoring his first century in the Ranji Trophy and his third first-class ton – all of which have come this year.Mumbai’s openers Sahil Kukreja and Wasim Jaffer were prepared to bide their time in the morning session, moving their feet and getting nicely behind the line of the ball and almost every solid defensive shot was greeted by chants of from the players’ enclosure. Mindful of the low bounce on the surface, the openers added 57 at a slow pace, waiting for the bad ball instead of manufacturing strokes.Captain S Badrinath’s persistence with the seamers paid off when Kukreja and Ajinkya Rahane fell in almost identical fashion, fishing outside the off stump and edging to wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik. The spirits were up in the Tamil Nadu camp, sensing they could gain the first-innings advantage over Mumbai.Jaffer then had captain Amol Muzumdar for company and the pair settled down to add 61 for the third wicket. Jaffer played fluently, getting his front foot forward, beating the infield with neat flicks past the bowler and midwicket and then showed his prowess off the back foot, punching Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh with a firm push past extra cover.With the ball keeping low, Mumbai survived a few close shouts against the spinners before lunch. The pressure on the batsmen continued after lunch, and a rush of blood and uncoordinated running saw Jaffer and Prashant Naik losing their wickets. At 155 for 5, Mumbai’s hopes of a big first-innings lead looked dim.Refusing to get bogged down, Nayar took to the offspin of R Ashwin with an imperious loft over midwicket. He then launched the same bowler over the straight boundary, causing a few heartbeats to flutter at the media and scoring enclosure. The signs were evident that Nayar wasn’t going to be content with a cameo, like his 24 against Karnataka the in previous game.With the aggressive Ajit Agarkar for company, Nayar played with freedom, peppering the onside with a lofted sweep off Ashwin and a short-arm pull off left-arm seamer R Naresh. Both Nayar and Agarkar dismantled Naresh’s miserly figures – he conceded just over a run an over in his first nine – with three boundaries in a single over. Agarkar found his groove with a hook and cover drive off Naresh, as Mumbai inched closer to Tamil Nadu’s 206.Nayar wasn’t done yet. He managed to keep the off-side fielders on their toes, rocking back to the left-arm spin of R Ramkumar and bisecting the gap between point and cover on more than one occasion. The pair had added a priceless 61 – Mumbai gaining the first-innings lead – before Agarkar played down the wrong line to P Amarnath. Ramesh Powar perished soon after, edging to slip while trying to loft Ramkumar into the trees over long-on.The chants of and didn’t stop as Tamil Nadu were further driven further into the ground by Nayar. A firm punch down the ground was followed by a screeching extra-cover drive and a Caribbean-style one-legged whip. With his exaggerated wide stance, one could be forgiven for thinking a Lance Klusener impersonator was at the crease. Nayar, now joined by Vinayak Samant, continued in the same vein, launching Ramkumar over deep midwicket for his second six.Almost every shot, including defensive pushes, came off the meat of the bat. He reached his century with a firm push to mid-on, with Mumbai’s lead over fifty. His team-mates stood up to applaud his knock and the handful of spectators across the ground acknowledged as well. He fell trying to loft Ashwin with the turn, handing K Vasudevadas a catch running backwards from cover.Tamil Nadu, in reply, lost M Vijay early to Powar although the batsman wasn’t shy in showing his displeasure at the dismissal. However, they can take heart from the fact that Dinesh Karthik was middling the ball well, pounding the opening bowlers with horizontal bat shots off the middle of the bat.

Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, the two Pakistan bowlers who returned positive dope tests last year, have cleared the latest tests held at the fitness and training camp in Karachi earlier this week.”Akhtar and Asif are among 26 players who have cleared these tests for which weasked urgent reports from the World Anti-Doping Agency [WADA] accredited laboratoryin Malaysia,” Ahsan Malik, the Pakistan board’s director of communications, told .The PCB had ordered dope tests for all camp attendees and had decided to hold back naming the squad for the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship until results were received. Both Shoaib and Asif were the focus of attention as they tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone and were handed bans last year which were overturned later.Malik said the PCB had expected all tests to be negative in accordance with its zerotolerance policy on doping. He also said that three players – Younis Khan, Danish Kaneria and Yasir Arafat currently involved in county cricket – were tested in England and the samples were sent to the same WADA-accredited laboratory as the rest of the squad.The third and final fitness and training camp with special emphasis on the forthcoming Twenty20 World Championship concludes on Monday with the squad announcement expected next week as well.

The ICC have announced the fixtures for the Women’s World Cup qualifiers that will take place in Stellenbosch, South Africa, from February 18 to 24.The event, which was shifted out of Pakistan due to political unrest, will feature eight teams – Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea, Bermuda, Ireland, Pakistan, Scotland, Netherlands, as well as the hosts – who will play for the two remaining spots up for grabs at the 2009 World Cup in Australia.The teams have been divided into two pools; Pool A will consist of South Africa, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and Bermuda, while Pool B will comprise Ireland, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Scotland. The top two teams from each pool will gain entry into the semi-finals, and the two teams that make the final will qualify for the World Cup, regardless of the outcome of the match.Official status will be granted to six of the 20 matches that are scheduled over the seven-day tournament: the third and fourth place play-offs, the semi-finals, the final, as well as the matches between Pakistan and Ireland, and South Africa and Netherlands. This is because only matches involving the top 10 teams in women’s cricket have one-day international status.According to the current rankings South Africa are in the seventh place, followed by Ireland, Netherlands, and Pakistan.Pool A
South Africa
Netherlands
Bermuda
Papua New Guinea
Pool B
Ireland
Pakistan
Zimbabwe
Scotland

After rejecting the captaincy twice in his career, Pakistan batsman Younis Khan has accepted the responsibility of taking over as the vice-captain for the tour of India, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced today.Younis takes over from opener Salman Butt, who held the post through the two-Test series against South Africa.Younis had served as the vice-captain of the side for nearly two years under Inzamam-ul-Haq, and was appointed captain during the Champions Trophy in India last year in Inzamam’s absence. However, he announced in a press conference that he refused to be a ‘dummy captain’ and walked off, only to be reinstated under a new board administration two days later.He was widely expected to take over following Inzamam’s resignation after a disasterous World Cup in the West Indies but turned it down again, citing mental strain after the trauma of coach Bob Woolmer’s death. What upset him the most was the hostile reception the team got on returning to Pakistan, and the fact that the Jamaican authorities viewed the players as suspects in Woolmer’s death, which was treated as a murder investigation.”I am still hurt and upset at the sort of hostile reception we have got since returning from the World Cup,” Younis said back in April. “I have always given 100% for my country. But when your family gets threatening calls and our effigies are burnt and our pictures put on donkeys, then I can’t lead the team in such circumstances.”The board eventually opted for a young captain, Shoaib Malik, and after an impressive start was handed a one-year extension. Younis had another shot at leading the side, albeit briefly, when Malik went off the field during the second one-dayer against South Africa. With Butt, the official vice-captain, not in the playing XI, Younis took over and reportedly showed a lot of enthusiasm.One of the probable reasons for the PCB not persisting with Butt is that he isn’t able to hold his place in the one-day team, on account of his poor batting form. Though he was the official vice-captain, he sat on the bench through all five one-dayers against South Africa.

Khulna are the glamour side in the National Cricket League, boasting almost half the Bangladesh team’s regulars. However, even with Mashrafe Mortaza and Syed Rasel thriving on pitches not conducive to seam bowling and Shakib Al Hasan batting like a man possessed, they had be content with their second draw in a row when visitors Chittagong held on at the Khulna Divisional Stadium.Khulna had done all the right things after being put in; half-centuries from opener Imrul Kayash and Tushar Imran gave them a strong start, which was built on by Shakib’s maiden first-class hundred (108). At stumps on day one Khulna were 361 for 7. Another 49 runs were added the next morning as the batsmen maintained a rate of almost four an over throughout the innings. If Khulna were worried about the absence of left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak and fast bowler Dolar Mahmud, away on Hong Kong Sixes duty, they were soon lifted as unheralded offspinner Murad Khan sent back Nafees Iqbal (35) and Nazimuddin (30) after Mortaza and Rasel had made their customary early strikes. A 99-run sixth-wicket stand between Faisal Hossain and Dhiman Ghosh provided respectability to the Chittagong total as Khan and Rasel took four wickets apiece to dismiss them for 248 early on the third day. Habibul Bashar gambled by not enforcing the follow-on and Khulna rode on a 69-ball 50 from Shakib, playing despite a severe bout of influenza, and a rapid 30 from Mortaza to set Chittagong a target of 367. Tamim Iqbal’s 81 off 166 balls made Chittagong’s intentions clear as the match headed for a draw. Bashar tried everything, including giving Khan the new ball and, towards the end of the match, getting Mortaza to bowl spin on a pitch offering turn. He managed to get the wicket of Ehsanul Haque out but Chittagong hung on to end at 252 for 7. Nazimuddin was again among the runs with an uncharacteristically sedate 56.Rajshahi may not have the marquee names of Khulna or Dhaka but the team is a model of commitment, dedication and hard work. Led by the persevering Khaled Mashud they have set the early pace in the NCL after thumping Barisal by 8 wickets at the Rajshahi Divisional Stadium. Mashud inspired a fightback after Barisal’s pace duo of Talha Jubair and Sajidul Islam had reduced Rajshahi to 46 for 4 by exploiting the juice in the wicket. Such situations bring out the best in Mashud and his workmanlike 89 from 263 balls and equally important knocks of 67 from Mushfiqur Rahman and 52 from Farhad Reza took Rajshahi past 300. Their depth then came to the fore as their supposed second-choice bowlers Reza, Suhrawadi Shuvo and Nayeem Islam shared nine wickets to dismiss Barisal for 87, the lowest score in an innings so far this season. Following on they were spared a repeat by Raisul Islam’s 52 and 45 from No. 10 Jubair. It was only a matter of time before Rajshahi got the last wicket on the final morning as Barisal folded for 222, left-arm spinner Shuvo again claiming three, and were left with completing the formality of scoring nine for victory.Dhaka missed captain Mohammad Ashraful and Mahmudullah, who were in Hong Kong, but were still too strong for a lacklustre Sylhet, thumping them by an innings and 34 runs at Bogra. Losing Javed Omar with six on the board after being sent in was the only hiccup for the champions as the other opener, Anwar Hossain (54), stand-in skipper Al Sahariar (54) and Mehrab Hossain jnr with set up the platform. Cameos from Mosharraf Hossain (35 n.o.) and Mohammad Rafique (39) ensured Dhaka’s batting bonus as they declared on 351 for 9 on the second day. In good times a team with Rajin Saleh, Alok Kapali and Mushfiqur Rahim would be expected to give a spirited reply but Sylhet, who had used nine bowlers to contain Dhaka, are struggling. Mahbubul Alam, who stepped in for flu-stricken Shahadat Hossain, bowled a fascinating 11-over spell for 14 runs and sent back four of the top five batsmen. Mohammad Sharif, at the other end, took his cue and bowled a fuller length, getting the ball to swing with devastating effect. Sylhet were 26 for seven in the 17th over and without Rahim’s 36 would have been bowled out for under 50. Sylhet’s hopes of stretching the game beyond day three were dashed by the left-arm spin of Mehrab and Mosharraf when they followed on. Mehrab struck a double blow in the 41st over, removing Sharifullah and Sylhet captain Saleh, on his way to 5 for 43 while the towering Mosharraf continued to impress with his loop as he picked up three wickets.

Khulna’s top order crumbled against Chittagong in front of a packed home crowd at the Khulna Divisional Stadium. – unprecedented in the NCL – but they recovered to post 196. Something special was called for and Mortaza (5 for 31) provided it, sending back the dangerous Aftab Ahmed (7) and Nazimuddin (5) in his opening burst before returning to dismiss Ehsanul and Shabbir Khan in the same over as Chittagong slipped from 154 for 6 to 154 for 8. Mortaza then cleaned up Rubel Hossain as Chittagong fell nine short. This was Mortaza’s second match-winning effort in the space of a week following his 35 and three wickets in Khulna’s victory over Dhaka in the first round.Junaid Siddique did not play the four-dayer as he was in the Hong Kong Sixes team but flew back a day before Rajshahi’s match against Barisal at the Rajshahi Divisional Stadium and belted the bowling with his opening partner Jahurul Islam. The two were separated when Jahurul fell for a 52-ball 55 after a stand of 121 in 19.2 overs but Junaid continued the momentum until his dismissal for 120 in the 42nd over. Rajshahi’s total of 295 for 8 proved too intimidating a target for Barisal, whose cause was not helped when captain Shahriar Nafees was out without scoring in the first over. They eventually limped to 179 as Rajshahi’s maintained their hundred percent record in both forms of the NCL.

Dhaka have unearthed an unassuming hero in Mosharraf. His three wickets at Bogra stifled Sylhet in the middle overs as they could only muster 195 on a flat deck at Bogra. Then, given another opportunity to bat at No. 3, Mosharraf repaid the faith for the second game running with 49 not out as the target was overhauled with 8.4 overs and seven wickets to spare. Mosharraf had made 72 in the loss to Khulna in round one.Player of the week Shakib Al Hasan
Not in the best of international form coming into the NCL, Shakib had vowed before the start that he would make this tournament count and so far he has backed that confidence with action. With critics eager to bracket him as a one-day specialist the 20-year-old is letting his bat do the talking. His 108 and 50 at Khulna came when the situation demanded he anchor the innings and he instantly adapted to this role, never hurrying and minimising the risk knowing that his natural talent will always be there to ensure fluency.

Points table

National Cricket League

Note: Points include bonus points for batting and bowling and points for the first-innings lead in the drawn gameNational Cricket League one-day