Desk Report:
On the opening day of the National Cricket League (NCL) T20, the Sylhet-Rangpur match in Bogra could not start due to rain. Although this match was abandoned, the rain-interrupted match between the hosts Rajshahi and Dhaka Metropolitan in Rajshahi was 5 overs. The match was won by the Metropolitan by 7 wickets.
Rajshahi was in trouble after winning the toss and opting to bat for 14 runs and losing 3 wickets. Shanto (0) was caught at deep point while trying to bowl Abu Haider with the second ball. Habibur Rahman Sohan (2) was out in the next over. Sabbir Hossain (4) could not survive the whirlwind of left-arm spinner Arif Ahmed. However, Sabbir Rahman was at the other end. After hitting 33 runs unbeaten with 1 four and 3 sixes, Rajshahi’s score finally stood at 60/3.
Sabbir became quite aggressive in the last over. He hit Shahidul Islam’s first two slower balls out of bounds. He hit the last ball into the gallery. Sabbir’s strike rate in his 15-ball innings was 220.00.
However, 21-year-old opener Mahfizul Islam Robin batted more aggressively than Sabbir to defeat Rajshahi. Opening the innings, he scored 30 runs off 12 balls at a strike rate of 250.00. Thanks to his innings, which included 4 fours and 1 six, Dhaka Metropolitan won by 7 wickets with 3 balls in hand. Although captain Mohammad Naeem (7), Mahmudullah (6), Abu Haider (8) could not stay at the wickets for long, Mahfizul’s excellent batting ensured the victory for Metropolitan. This was Mahfizul’s first match in the NCL T20; where he won the Man of the Match award.
In the second match of the day, last season’s champions Rangpur Division and Sylhet Division were scheduled to take the field in Bogra. However, the match was abandoned due to rain.
Due to continuous rain and unsuitable outfield in Bogra, the BCB Technical and Tournament Committee has decided in an emergency meeting to shift the two matches scheduled for September 15 and 16 from Bogra to Rajshahi. Due to which, two matches will be played in Rajshahi every day from September 15. Dhaka will face Barisal in the morning, Khulna-Chittagong will play in the afternoon. The next day, Rajshahi-Khulna will play in the first match, and Dhaka’s opponent will be Rangpur in the second match.
