Dhaka crowned themselves as the new National League champions defeating Khulna by 138 runs at the Jessore Stadium on Saturday.
The star-studded capital team celebrated their maiden title in the six-team first-class competition with a match in hand after they dismissed their hosts for 132 runs in the second innings.
On the final day, Khulna needed another 226 runs to stop the runaway leaders. But the home side could add only 90 runs to their overnight score of 42/3 before being all out in 44.4 overs.
The Dhaka victory came shortly after lunch when their captain Khaled Mahmud claimed the final wicket of Tushar to cap his team's fantastic season that saw them win seven of their eight games.
The only unbeaten team in the third edition of the meet, which has been sponsored by leading tea manufacturer Ispahani, Dhaka have only conceded a draw against nearest challengers Rajshahi in an earlier round.
Chittagong won the inaugural edition in 1999 and Bangladesh Biman won the second in 20002001. But unfortunately the organisers dumped the national airliners as well as Dhaka Metropolis from this year's competition. However, Dhaka have also confirmed a winners cheque of Taka 400,000 before going into their final match against Rajshahi next week.
Dhaka were led by not one but four captains on their way to the title. Naimur Rahman got Dhaka off to a good start before he flew off to the West Indies with the Bangladesh A team and Mahmud finished the job after serving his national duty.
In between Sajjad Ahmed Monsur and Halim Shah were at the helm.
Dhaka's success was built on the contributions of their senior players with Jahangir Alam and Halim in particular standing out.
While Dhaka basked in the glory, Rajshahi had to settle for a draw with hosts Sylhet.
With the championship over, second-placed Rajshahi can only hope to win the one-day title.
The team of national captain Khaled Mashud is leading the limited-overs competition with 12 points. But to consolidate their position, Rajshahi will have to deny Sylhet's aspiration to join them at the top.
Elsewhere, the misery continued for the former champions Chittagong as they drew with bottom-placed Barisal at the MA Aziz Stadium.
Barisal opener Imran, who carried his bat on Friday to thwart the port city team a third win in the League, transformed his overnight 89 to a superb 141.
The game was also a disappointment for Minhazul Abedin, who was eyeing to become the first player to score 1000 runs. But the veteran middle-order bat, needing 77 runs to reach the milestone, could only score only six and 33.
Minhaz's has now only a match in hand to grab those precious 38 runs.
Meanwhile, the tournament committee of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has brought forward the two next round matches, which were secluded to start on March 8, by two days.
SCORECARDS
Final scoreboards of the three Ispahani National League matches played at different venues across the country on Saturday:
Dhaka v Khulna
Venue: Jessore
DHAKA: First innings 159 all out in 43.5 overs (Rashedul 50, Jahangir 26; Tushar 6/41, Razzak 2/21)
KHULNA: First innings 252 all out in 98.5 overs (Hasanuzzaman 77, Asadullah 28, Tushar 27, Rafique 5/73, K Mahmud 2/32)
DHAKA: Second innings 363 for 9 dec (Halim 94, Javed 66; Al-Amin 2/43, Jamal 2/100, Hasanuzzaman 2/68)
KHULNA: Second innings
(overnight 42 for 3 in 15 overs) Raju c Javed b Rafique 4
Nahidul c Jahangir b Rafique 17 Jamaluddin c Lablu b Neeyamur 27 Al-Amin b K Mahmud 0
Uzzal c Ashraful b Neeyamur 8
Biplob c & b Fahim 4
Hasanuzzaman lbw b K Mahmud 25 Salim c Jahangir b Fahim 4
Razzak c Jahangir b K Mahmud 28 Tushar b K Mahmud 6
Russel not out 5
Extras: (b-11, lb-3, nb-1, w-3) 18
Total: (All out in 44.4 overs) 132
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-24, 3-37, 4-57, 5-62, 6-64, 7-82, 8-120, 9-127 Bowler O M R W
K Mahmud 10.4 2 44 4
Neeyamur 11 2 24 2
Rafique 11 4 26 2
Fahim 12 3 37 2
Result: Dhaka won by 138 runs.
Rajshahi v Sylhet
Venue: Sylhet Stadium
RAJSHAHI: First innings 300 all out in 126.5 overs (Mustadir 65 n.o.,
Anisur 60, Nuruzzaman 39, Rafiqul 42, Nayeem 5/65, Imran 2/32)
SYLHET: First innings 283 all out in 109.1 overs (Parvez 97, Rajin 75; Aminul jr. 3/55, Faisal 2/26)
RAJSHAHI: Second innings
(overnight 38 for 1 in 29 overs) Rafiqul b Taposh 50
Samiul c Kapali b Parvez 6
Nuruzzaman b Taposh 11
Anisur b Taposh 0
Hasan b Kapali 8
K Mashud c Nasirul b Rana 69
Mustadir c Taposh b Kapali 2
Faisal c Sishir b Imran 0
Mahabub c Rajin b Kapali 12
Imran st. Sishir b Rana 21
Aminul jr. not out 0
Extras: (b-18, lb-2, w-12) 32
Total: (All out in 100.3 overs) 211 Fall of wicket: 1-28, 2-65, 3-69, 478, 5-97, 6-103, 7-116, 8-125, 9-206 Bowler O M R W
Parvez 17 3 45 1
Taposh 21 6 33 3
Imran 28 15 37 1
Nayeem 18 4 23 0
Kapali 20 3 39 3
Rana 2.3 0 14 2
Result: Match drawn.
Chittagong v Barisal
Venue: M A Aziz Stadium
BARISAL: First innings 202 all out in 74.4 overs (Moin 67, Anisur 56; Sabbir 5/63, Enamul 4/51)
CHITTAGONG: First innings
267 all out in 99 overs (Nafis 77, Enamul 46, Azam 40, Sanwar 3/27, Ashfaq 3/44)
BARISAL: Second innings
(overnight 213 for 6 103 overs) Imran c Arif b Sabbir 141
Shafayet lbw b Enamul 18
Shahin run out 12
Sanwar c Azam b Enamul 11
Moshiur c Hakim b Enamul 4
Moinuzzaman c Sabbir b Enamul 5 Kamal c Enamul b Shafiuddin 33 Samiul c Azam b Sabbir 49
Anis st. Arif b Minhaz 39
Ashfaq c Sabbir b Minhaz 21
Ripon not out 0
Extras: (b-24, lb-6, nb-9, w-1) 40
Total: (All out in 170.3 overs) 373
Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-73, 3-96, 4-118, 5-128, 6-182, 7-303, 8-312, 9-372
Bowler O M R W
Suja 33.5 13 52 0
Safiuddin 23 5 43 1
Aftab 3 0 13 0
Enamul 43.1 20 65 4
Sabbir 50 15 122 2
Minhazul 5.3 0 10 2
Azam 6 1 19 0
Nafis 5 1 11 0
Masum 1 0 8 0
CHITTAGONG: Second innings Nafis c Ashfaq b Sanwar 37
Minhaz c Kamal b Ashfaq 33
Sabbir c Shaheen b Ashfaq 5
Aftab not out 13
Extras: (B-4, lb-2, nb-4) 10
Total: (For 3 wickets in 22.2 overs) 98
Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-54, 3-98 Bowler O M R W
Anis 3 0 23 0
Ashfaq 7 0 31 2
Kamal 6 0 19 0
Moin 4 0 13 0
Sanwar 2.2 0 6 1
Result: Match drawn.