Abahani Limited returned to the top of the table as they beat Agrani Bank Cricket Club by four wickets in DLS method in their opening match of the Super League of the ongoing Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League at the BKSP-3 on Thursday.
Agrani Bank, after being asked to bat first, were 109-3 in 24.4 overs when rain halted their innings with Imrul Kayes unbeaten on 48 off 52 balls.
Abahani suffered early blows as they lost both openers to Robiul Haque in the first over after they were set 157 runs in 22 overs, but Jishan Alam kept them in the hunt with 46 off just 27 balls.
Meherob Hossain made 30 off 25, while Shamsul Islam and Mahfuzur Rabby remained unbeaten on 25 and 20, respectively, as Abahani reached 157-6 in 19.2 overs. With the win, the defending champions have 20 points after the first round of the Super League.
Another title contender, Mohammedan Sporting Club, suffered a jolt as they began their Super League campaign with a crushing nine-wicket loss to Legends of Rupganj, also in DLS method, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
Mohammedan, who were missing several key players including captain Towhid Hridoy due to various reasons, managed only 117-7 in 29.4 overs when rain poured down in Mirpur.
Left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam took 3-37 while Chowdhury Mohammad Rizwan took 2-9. No further play was possible in Mohammedan鈥檚 innings as Rupganj were set a target of 93 runs in 22 overs.
Rupganj reached 94-1 in 13.2 overs with Saif Hassan (55 off 44) and Soumya Sarkar (36 off 33) leading the chase despite losing opener Tanzid Hasan on the third ball of the innings.
In the other match of the day, Gulshan Cricket Club moved to third in the table with a thrilling three-wicket victory in DLS method over Gazi Group Cricketers at the BKSP-4.
Gazi Group were 110-3 in 23.3 overs when rain halted the play with Shamsur Rahman unbeaten on 32 after Sadikur Rahman made 36.
Mehedi Hasan (43 off 24) and Alif Hasan (35 off 33) got Gulshan to a flying start after their target was set to 162 runs in 22 overs.
Despite suffering a collapse in the middle when they lost three wickets for just three runs, veteran Naeem Islam kept things together for them in his unbeaten knock of 56 runs off just 33 balls.
They needed nine runs off the last over, and Naeem sealed that with a boundary in the first and followed it with a six in the fourth delivery as Gulshan reached 165-7 in 21.4 overs.
