South and East wrest initiative
Taijul Islam's six-wicket haul and hundreds from Anamul Haque and Al-Amin hogged the spotlight on the second day of the final round of the Bangladesh Cricket League at two different venues yesterday.
Taijul was not at his best in the previous two rounds after finishing the international calendar on a high note, but the left-arm spinner rediscovered his mastery on the second day at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
The 26-year-old bagged six wickets for 92 runs, his 20th five-for in 63 first-class matches, as East Zone managed a mammoth 201-run first-innings lead by wrapping up Central Zone for 224 runs. East did not enforce the follow-on and finished the day on two for no loss in their second innings.
Half-centuries from Pinak Ghosh and Mosaddek Hossain, who was dismissed by young off-spinner Nayeem Hasan, were the highlights of Central's innings as Taijul tore apart the top order before wrapping up the tail.
Taijul provided the first breakthrough, trapping Saif Hasan in front, and then took two more top-order wickets of Nazmul Hossain and Abdul Mazid. He also removed the last recognised batsman in Jaker Ali.
Earlier, Taijul's 32-run knock helped East to extend their first innings score to 425 after resuming the day on 380 for eight.
At the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, it was a tale of two batsmen. Anamul and Al-Amin helped South Zone score 407 for five after recovering from 57 for three. South, after bundling out North Zone for 293 runs on the first days, have already raced away to a 114-run lead with five wickets in hand.
Left-arm spinner Sunzamul Islam claimed two wickets and pacer Ebadat Hossain took one to give North a good start but Al-Amin joined Anamul to seize the initiative with a 295-run fourth wicket stand before Al-Amin retired hurt because of cramps on 110 off 119 balls, which featured 11 fours and three sixes.
Anamul was unbeaten on 155.
Mahedi Hasan was the other notable scorer with a 76-ball 84 that contained seven fours and three sixes.
SCORES IN BRIEF
EAST ZONE V CENTRAL ZONE
EAST ZONE: First innings 425 all out in 88.5 overs (Mominul 82, Imrul 78, Mahmudul 94, Zakir 57, Taijul 32; Hider 2-85, Taskin 4-96, Mosaddek 2-97, Mosharraf 2-91) and Second innings 2 for 0 in 1 over (Rony 1 not out, Imrul 1 not out)
CENTRAL ZONE: 224 all out in 72.1 overs (Saif 22, Pinak 51, Mazid 24, Mosaddek 57, Jaker 24; Taijul 6-92, Nayeem 2-44)
NORTH ZONE V SOUTH ZONE
NORTH ZONE: First innings 293.
SOUTH ZONE: First innings 407 for 5 in 95.2 overs (Anamul 155 not out, Al-Amin 110 retired hurt, Mahedi 84, Nahidul 26; Ebadat 2-59, Sunzamul 2-118)
