Abahani Krira Chakra are favourably poised to round off the 1996-97 cricket season with a hat-
trick of titles.
The popular Dhanmondi Club which had earlier won the Damal memorial tourney and the Reporters' Cup established their proximity to the Premier league crown yesterday when they defeated holders Mohammedan Sporting Club by six wickets in a rather anti-climactic super league match at the Dhaka Stadium.
The former champions will now face Wari Club in their last super league encounter tomorrow and a win will ensure them the top slot in the six-team super league though not exactly the Premier title. Although Abahani have played themselves in an unassailable position they still have to wait a while to know that the Premier crown has been regained after a lapse of two years. This is because both Bangladesh Biman and Brothers Union, the other two survivors of the championship race, are still in with a chance to finish at par with Abahani. If any of the two teams win their remaining two matches each and Abahani too win their last match against Wari (which look a certainty on Abahani's current form ,and Wari's relative strength), net , run-rate will be summoned to decide the fafe^of th^ Premie^
Even in the context of Aba-hani’s record of a clean slate against their arch-rivals yesterday's match, third clash between the two this season, was a dampish one-sided match. Abahani outplayed their demoralised opponents in every department of the game. In a rain-affected, truncated 40-overs-a-side, affair which began more than two hours behind the schedule, Abahani bowled and fielded zestfully to book Mohammedans for a paltry 148 in 37.3 overs and then reached the target in 36.1 overs for the loss of four wickets only.
Opener Javed Omar Belim Golla was at the centre of Abahani's victory charge with a characteristically sedate and workmanlike half century. The dour opener who made 64 however rode his luck as the butterfingered Mohammedan fielders let him off thrice.
After losing his partner, Al-Shahriar Rokon (5), on 22 in the 11th over. Golla shared a 32-run partnership with Gulam Ali before the former Pakistan international was caught at mid-off by Parvez off Sumon in the 16th over with Abahani placed on 54. In his 18-balls 23.
Gulam Ali hit four sweetly-timed boundaries.
Abahani proceeded rather smoothly with skipper Akram Khan Joining Golla as the duo added 63 runs for the third wicket before an unsavoury incident brought the game to an abrupt and unwarranted halt. A section of the spectators in the northern galleries, apparently displeased by the course of the match started throwing missiles and the Sri Lankan umpires quite logically withheld the proceedings.
It took some twenty minutes for the disturbance to die down and when the match resumed skipper Akram Khan was on his way. Dropped twice in his 17, Akram chased a widish delivery from Shanto to be caught at the wicket,
Unperturbed by the stoppage Golla went on to complete his fifth fifty of the league with a late cut of Mohammedan’s Pakistani leg break bowler Shahed Mehmood. The right hander who all but carried his bat through the innings fell when he mistimed a pull of left arm seamer Sumon to be caught by veteran Nannu at the square leg with Abahani just six runs away from victory.
Nalmur Rahman Durjoy closed the gap with a first ball boundary before Pakistani Monirul Khan who remained unbeaten on a r^a-^.J^, brought,, tlje -’yfqtqfy . by,, atsa of the 37th over. r nsi.t
Apart from the hold-up. the spirit of the match was considerably spoiled by the Mohammedan bowlers, particularly the two seamers Hasibul Hossain Shanto and Morshed All Khan. Both indulged in time-wasting tactics a fact that forced Abahani to bat in fading light and provoked the umpires to talk to the Mohammedan captain. Although there was not much excitement in the game, the umpires had a busy day. particularly in the first of the day as they had to consult and swap position to keep an eye on the Abahani pacer Rahat who reported against for chucking by the Mohammedan skipper Bulbul.
Earlier. Mohammedans' paltry total was built around yet another brilliant half centuiy by skipper Aminul Islam Bulbul who scored 60 off 82 balls inclusive of five boundaries. It was the dapper right hander's third half century in the league. The vice captain of the national team scored a century against Wari Club in their previous match last week.
Among others, one down
Sanwar. who earned his first call for the national team yesterday. scored 24 off 40 deliveries while Minhazul Abedin Nannu added 20 to the Mohammedan account.
Although Mohammedan Innings showed promises of assuming a fairly healthy look especially with Bulbul and Nannu in full command, a strange collapse that saw them lose the last six wickets for only 22 runs nipped them In the bud. The rot started when the experienced Nannu threw his wicket in a premature attempt for slog. After that it was only a matter of following the cardinal principle of one day cricket — length-line stuff — for the Abahani bowlers who otherwise never looked menacing.
For Abahani, right-arm medium pacers Ashfaque All Rahat and Pakistani Gulam Ali shared six wickets conceding 31 and 28 runs respectively while Iqbal Ahmed took two wickets giving away 22 runs in eight overs.
SCOREBOARD
MOHAMMEDAN SC ,
Parvez run out ' 2
S Mehmood c Pilot b Rahat 16 Sanwar c Pilot b Gulam Ali 24 Bulbul c Rahat b Gulam Ali 60 Raja Arshad b Gulam Ali 7 Nannu c Pilot b Iqbal 20 Shanto c Monirul b Iqbal 0 i SuJorVrtniout'in aniod pi '■ - 1 ; NaslT’bRahat . ■■ in;. xj
Al-Amin c RtAatetoRahatbii I i2i I SUmon not oute 1te tjm in tut 0 i Extras! (lb-5, nix-l, wi9) I 13 Total: (all out in 37.3 overs) 148
Fall of wickets: 1-7; 2-22; 3-60; 4-79: 5-126; 6-126; 7-128; 8-133:9-137; 10-148.
Bowling: O M R W
Dulu 8 0 22 0
Rahat 8 1 31 3
Zakir 7 0 41 2
Gulam Ali 6.3 0 28 3
Iqbal 8 2 22 2
ABAHANI KC
Golla c Nasir b Sumon 64 Rokon c Nasir b Al-Amin 5 Gulam c Parvez b Sumon 23
Akram c Nasir b Shanto 17
Monirul not out 17
Duijoy not out 4
Extras: (lb-5. nb-l, w-15) 21
Total (for four wickets in 36. lovers) 151
Did not bat: Dulu. Zakir. Iqbal. Pilot and Rahat. .
Fall of wickets: 1-22; 2-54; 3-117:4-143.
Bowling: O M R W
Al-Amin 8 2 15 1
Shanto 8 0 29 1
Sumon 8 0 37 2
Mehmood 5 0 12 0
Bulbul 2 0 10 0
Nannu 10 9 0
Raja Arshad 2.1 0 15 0
Result: Abahani won by six wickets.