Defending champions Mohammedan Sporting Club made heavy weather of an easy chase before notching a four-wicket victory over Young

Pegasus in a GrameenPhone Premier Super Six match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

With this win Mohammedan joined Bangladesh Biman in the second position, both having collected 20 points from 13 games. Victoria maintained a solo lead with 24 points.

Chasing a modest Pegasus total of 130, Mohammedan lost six wickets before reaching home and dry in 27.3 overs.

They were almost in for an upset while trying to get the job done quickly as the two slow bowlers of Pegasus, Saifullah Khan and Mahabub, exposed the fragile tail, sharing five wickets among them.

Mahabub captured three wickets within a space of eight deliveries to inflict a spectacular Mohammedan collapse when it appeared that the popular Motijheel outfit were running away with the easy win.

Still, it could have been a different story for Mohammedan had not Mahabub dropped wicketkeeper Anwar.

An early thunder from in-form opener Ehsanul Huq, who took the Pegasus bowlers to the sword after both captains agreed for an extended pre-lunch session, set the tune of the Mohammedan chase.

The right-hander scored a blazing 65 off 45 balls as Mohammedan raced to 90 for one in only 14 overs. Ehsanul hammered 10 boundaries and a six for his sixth fifty in the League before being dismissed by slow left-armer Saifullah Khan.

Saifullah also deceived Kenyan star batter Steve Tikolo with his trademark 'super slow' deliver to finish with two for 38 in 10 overs.

Habibul Bashar survived an early close call to take Mohammedan home with an unbeaten 25 off 57balls.

Earlier, the Pegasus total was built around a defiant 34 by their captain Hasan and 31 from opener Humayun.

Steve Tikolo, though failed with the bat, was the most successful Mohammedan bowler with three for 18 in seven overs. It was the best bowling performance for the Kenyan in this year's League.

SCOREBOARD

Scoreboard of the GrameenPhone Premier League Super Six match between Mohammedan Sporting Club and Young Pegasus played at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

YOUNG PEGASUS

Humayun st. Anwar b Sabbir 31

S Ahmed b Taposh 6

Shamsul run out 0

Hasan st. Anwar b Sabbir 34

Majed lbw b Tikolo 23

Jamal c Sanwar b Tikol 6

Mahabub run out 3

Tanvir lbw b Rafique 11

Shahjada c & b Tikolo 0

Saifullah b Taposh 0

Sohel not out 0

Extras: (b-2, lb-5, w-9) 16

Total: (All out in 42.4 overs) 130

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-21, 3-62, 4107, 5-107, 6-114, 7-123, 8-124, 9130

Bowler O M R W

Taposh 6.4 0 14 2

Safiuddin 8 0 25 0

Ehsanul 3 0 10 0

Sabbir 10 1 36 2

Rafique 8 1 20 1

Tikolo 7 0 18 3

MOHAMMEDAN

Rashedul c Majed b Sabbir 11

Ehsanul c sub b Saifullah 65

Bashar not out 25

Tikolo c Tanvir b Saifullah 4

Kiron c & b Mahabub 13

Sanwar c & b Mahabub 0

Sabbir c Hasan b Mahabub 0

Anwar not out 6

Extras: (lb-1, nb-2, w-4) 7

Total: (For 6 wkts in 27.3 overs) 131 Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-90, 3-97, 4122, 5-122, 6-124

Bowler O M R W

Shahjada 4 0 22 0

S Ahmed 4 0 21 1

Saifullah 10 1 38 2

Sohel 2 0 24 0

Majed 3 0 8 0

Mahabub 4.3 1 17 3

Result: Mohammedan SC won by 4 wickets.